Tale As Old As Time
by The Last Letter
Summary: Once upon a time, there was an arrogant prince named Connor. One night, after a chance encounter with an Enchantress, the prince finds himself under a curse that turns him into a beast and can only be broken by love. The prince and his servants fall into despair and ruin. When all appears to be lost, will a boy willing to give his freedom for his sister's, change everything?
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Adam. He was a strict ruler who did not yield to even the most pathetic of his citizen's plights. He heaped law after law onto his public, lusting after an idealized vision of his kingdom. While the lands began to flourish under King Adam's iron fist and the land as a whole grew richer, the citizens were not truly happy. They were bound in their actions and their lives by the controlling laws that King Adam and his faithful soldiers imposed on them.

Their ruthless, prejudiced, driven king ignited fear into all of his subjects when his name was so much as whispered. Despite his stern demeanor, King Adam had one redeeming quality: his love for his son, the young Prince Connor.

Prince Connor was a young teenager, with a soft face, sandy hair, and dazzling light coloured eyes that reminded the people of their beloved late Queen. In fact, as a whole, Prince Connor far more resembled his deceased mother. Much to the dismay of the subjects, Prince Connor's attitude was indisputably his father's – the man having been the boy's only parent since birth. While the King's love for his son was admirable, the Prince was not. The boy was just as harsh and just as domineering as his father.

 _Nearly._

As King Adam grew increasingly busy with his kingdom, the young prince was left in the care of his tutor, Lena, more often than he had been in the past. She had been hired as the prince's private tutor when he was five years old. Since then she, and the twins she'd adopted into her care, had lived in the palace. Her children – Jesus and Mariana – though a few years older, had acted as the prince's companions, under her encouragement. They had also played with the only other child in the castle, who was older than the twins still: Brandon, who was the son of the heads of the palace guard. Lena had hoped that, through their playtime, Prince Connor would develop his character beyond his father and come into his own.

Her plan hadn't been nearly as successful as she had hoped. While Prince Connor was undoubtedly softer and more generous than his father, there was no escaping the King's influence and, with every passing year, the Prince became more like the King. By the time the Prince reached his fourteenth year, Lena feared that the sweet little boy she had watched grow for nine years would soon be completely gone.

To celebrate Prince Connor's birthday, King Adam hosted a large party, inviting all of the important nobles. He invited so many, in fact, that not a single spare bed or piece of furniture to sleep on remained in the palace. The servants unceremoniously found themselves sleeping on the floor as the guests continued to pour into the large palace. They arrived in droves despite the fact that the week leading up to, and the day of, the birthday celebration was dark and stormy. By the time the actual day arrived, the servants were more than glad to get it over with – not because they didn't care for their prince, as they desperately tried to cling to the sweet little boy he had been – because they were run ragged as they catered to the full rooms and tried to prepare the grand feast and subsequent ball.

The grand birthday meal was well underway when a knock at the front door of the palace garnered the attention of Stef, the head guards. She answered the door with a frown, wondering who it could be in this weather. On the other side of the door stood a shrivelled old crone, wrapped in a soaking wet travelling cloak. Her impossible thinness and her plethora of wrinkles made Stef immediately pity her. She met Stef's eyes and her own dark set had a youthful air about them.

"Room for the night?" the crone croaked before Stef could speak.

She looked so pathetic that, any other night, Stef would have let her have a cot in the servants' quarters until daybreak. Tonight, Stef couldn't afford to do so. Not only were the guest rooms of the palace full but so were the servants' quarters – even the stables were piled high to the brim with both horses and their caretakers!

"There's no room," Stef said, sadly. She hated to turn anyone out in this weather, even a stranger. "We have no space for you."

"Please," the old woman begged. "Let me ask the king!"

"King Adam does not want to hear your troubles," Stef replied, honestly. She feared the harsh words that King Adam would have for the ugly beggar woman.

Before the crone could reply, Stef turned to face the footsteps that she heard echoing on the stone floor behind she and the crone. The king striding forward unhappily; the young prince was, as always, half a step behind his father.

"I can feel the wind in the dining hall!" King Adam snapped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"She wishes for board, Your Majesty," Stef explained as King Adam came to stand beside her.

Adam gave the woman a dismissive glance. Prince Connor, who was nearly hidden behind his father, shuffled to the side a step so that he could see the visitor. His face twitched awkwardly when he saw her disgusting appearance but he quickly schooled it back into the neutral face that his father had taught him. He snapped his eyes to the floor, telling himself that it would be rude to stare.

"We do not have room for you," King Adam said, sounding very much like he was speaking to a dimwitted child. "Stef, the door."

"I have payment," the woman screeched in protest.

Adam paused, greed flickering in his eyes.

The woman produced a stunning red rose in her hand. Delicately holding the stem, she offered it to the king. "For a room."

"A rose?" King Adam bellowed. He laughed condescendingly. "You think a room in _my_ palace is worth a lowly rose?"

"It's beautiful," she said. Then she offered the rose to Prince Connor, saying, "True worth isn't always obvious, is it?"

Connor nodded, transfixed by the rose. He almost reached out to take it from the crone's hand but the moment his arm lifted, King Adam slapped his forearm down.

Prince Connor's eyes widened and he reminded himself of what he had to say, "It's _just_ a rose. The garden is full of them."

"Beauty is more than what you see. Won't you let me stay?"

This time, King Adam simply reached for the door himself. Before he could move it more than a centimetre, there was a brilliant white light. He squinted his eyes until the light subsided and then the king and the prince gasped in unison. For there, where once the haggard woman once stood, was now a beautiful lady. She was surrounded by a mythical glow and King Adam felt his legs tremble at once. She looked like the Enchantress of legend. Connor took a step backward from the woman, immediately fearing something so alien to him. But he got no more than a step before something froze him in place. He couldn't even make a sound as the Enchantress's rose floated toward his father.

"I … I'm sure we have space for you somewhere," King Adam managed. He couldn't take his eyes off the floating rose. King Adam hated things that he couldn't control and this was so far beyond his reach that his desperation showed on every inch of his face.

"You have shown me your true self, King Adam." The Enchantress's voice was now made of honey, where the crone's had been a steely rasp. "And you are unrepentant. There must be consequences for all of your past cruelty."

The edge of the rose's outermost petal brushed against King Adam's face. In the next moment, King Adam was gone.

A scream swelled in Prince Connor's throat, but he couldn't express the pain inside of him. Despite his domineering qualities, King Adam was his father and Prince Connor didn't know how to be without him. His heart seemed to stop as the Enchantress turned to stare at him. He wondered if he would be next. He wondered if he would go where his father was or if his father was already dead. The rose floated toward him and Prince Connor felt his trepidation grow.

"There is something about you that can be redeemed," the Enchantress mused. Connor looked into her dark eyes and he could not seem to look away. "You are young. There is goodness in you yet. But you are also like your father. You have a lot to learn about love."

The rose was almost touching him and Connor couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted it to be over. Whatever _it_ was going to be.

The rose brushed his cheek and Connor waited for oblivion to come. But it never did. Instead, he felt himself lift from the ground and then there was terrible, terrible pain. Everywhere hurt – like he had needles sprouting from every inch of his skin. He was finally able to scream and he did – he screamed until the sound turned into a hoarse, broken chorus of sobs and then into something so grotesque and frightening that Prince Connor horrified even himself. When the pain finally abated and Connor returned to the ground, he stretched out his hands to catch himself. But he no longer hand hands. Instead, there were furry paws, topped off by long claws.

Prince Connor had become as beastly on the outside as he was becoming on the inside. He was covered in sandy fur; the same colour that his hair had once been. His fingers and toes had turned into sharp claws, with paws instead of hands and strange feet instead of his human once. He could walk as easily on all fours as he could on both feet. His once handsome face had become a mishmash of different animals, none of them pleasant: he had a squashed nose, horns, fangs, and a thick mane of hair. He was both taller and broader than he had been as a human, with the promise that it would become even worse as he grew up.

Prince Connor didn't even have to see his reflection to know that he was disgusting. He forced himself onto his new legs and then fled to his wing of the palace; what had always been his sanctuary. He stumbled as he went, unused to operating his animal appendages. As he fled, he tore into tapestries and destroyed whatever he could get his paws on, although he would never be able to tell exactly why. He just wanted to feel destruction against his new palms.

The loud crashing noises echoed throughout the palace and the birthday guests were no longer content to stay hiding in the dining hall. They came crowding forward to see what the commotion was about. The Enchantress studied the crowd for a moment. The guests were a complication that she did not want to worry about. With a wave of her delicate hand, the guests, along with their servants were transported back to their own homes, with no memory of the young Prince and his ruthless father. It would have to be this way, she decided.

Now, the Enchantress was faced with the Prince's servants. She already had plans for them. She flicked her hand again and she sent the rose spinning toward them. These servants cared for the prince; the prince cared for them. They would help him in holding onto his humanity, even as it became more and more tempting to give into the beast. Perhaps an extension of the curse would help Prince Connor with his motivation. As the rose touched the servants, they turned into various household objects.

Her work was almost done here. But it would not be fair for her to turn her back on the prince and his servants without explaining the rules to them. How else could they hope to break the curse that had been put upon them? The Enchantress made sure that her voice would echo to the furthest reaches of the palace so that even the grieving monster would be able to hear her.

"By the end of his eighteenth year, Prince Connor must learn to love and must be truly loved in return. Only then may the spell be broken."

As her final parting gifts, the Enchantress created a hand mirror to reflect whatever part of the outside world was requested of it and then she left the rose, which would count down the time to the end of the spell. When the last petal fell, it would be all over.

For the first year of the enchantment, the palace was in chaos as everyone learnt to adjust to their new forms. The population of the palace spent much of their time comforting Prince Connor, who was inconsolable – his father was gone, he was a beast, and, by association, the only people who had ever paid attention to him as a person were damned along with him. At Lena's suggestion, in an effort to break the spell, Prince Connor opened himself up to her. He told his servant everything he had never been able to admit to his father or even himself. The hope was that it didn't have to be romantic love to break the curse; that simply knowing Prince Connor and loving who he was would be enough to save them. But nothing came from Connor spilling his soul to Lena, and though the other servants hadn't been there during the baring of his soul, they had known about it and were disappointed at the lack of result.

During the second year, the time when Prince Connor was fifteen, he fell into a depression. He could not be coaxed from the roof above his bedroom – no matter the weather, the temperature, or the time of day – he could be found there, simply sitting. His beastly fur kept him very warm and, besides, he deserved to suffer. His beastly muscle wasted away as he refused to eat and barely slept. Prince Connor stayed in his sadness for over a year and half, and then the anger swept in full-force. Prince Connor gave into the beast he'd been transformed into. He ranted and raved; he destroyed all objects he came in contact with. He became bitter to the world. What good was love when it had condemned him?

The servants stayed faithfully, clinging to hopes that seemed further away with every passing day. They stayed this way for years, frozen in their ineffectiveness, waiting for the day when their lives would change again – this time, for the better. That day would come at the beginning of the prince's eighteenth year, but the servants were ignorant of that fast approaching milestone, and they despaired.

For who could ever learn to love a beast?

 **Well, here we go again, babes! For those who don't know, this is my favourite Disney movie. I thought it would be fun to see it done this way – there will be some changes and some of the exact story we know and love. And I hope you like it too! Future updates will continue on at 12:05 A.M. on the 29th of every month in the Pacific time zone!**

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	2. Chapter 1

Jude left the small cottage that he shared with his sister, Callie. He was a young boy of seventeen and, while a sweet, friendly teenager, he was viewed as an outcast by the people who lived in his village. Jude was different and while none of the people were able to clearly articulate what was so strange about him (was it simply the fact that he kept to himself? It was the fact that he barely spoke to anyone but his sister, for sure. Where were their parents? Perhaps it was how desperately both Jude and Callie wanted to leave the small village where everyone else was so content to stay) but they rejected him nonetheless. Despite their often bullying ways, Jude took no notice of them. Instead, Jude looked to the future. By the end of the year, if he and Callie continued to work and earn money at the rate they had been, they would be able to move to the city and Jude couldn't wait. He knew that there was more than this tiny town that, while nice in its own way, moved in the same patterns day after day. Jude wanted something less predictable.

Jude wanted to feel like he was living his life instead of just existing.

The only thing that Jude had to do in town was pick up some groceries. Callie was leaving early tomorrow morning – there was a seamstress the next town over that was willing to pay Callie more than the seamstress here was. Jude needed to get enough food for her day long journey. He quickly picked up the necessary food items and was just about to take the short way home when he spotted Liam loitering by the tavern – his usual hangout spot. He was accompanied by his sidekick, the boy whose nickname had long been forgotten in favour of his nickname: Fooly.

Jude snuck down a side alley, hoping to avoid Liam, who was one of his biggest tormentors. Liam was the golden boy of the village. He was handsome and talented – the greatest hunter in the entire country! Or so his many admirers claimed. While Jude and Callie both found him cruel and obnoxious, they were alone in their thoughts. Their less than stellar opinion of him did not, however, stop Liam from having an opinion of Callie – he desperately wanted her hand in marriage. She rejected him at every turn, and he had tried many times. Jude knew that she would never agree to it and he wished Liam's pursuit of his sister would stop, but he also wished that Liam's infatuation would make Liam nicer to him. If only to make Jude's own life easier.

Jude was almost to the end of the alley way when he heard Liam's distinctive voice.

"Wait up, Jude! We want to talk!"

"Yeah, _Jude_." Fooly, this time. Everything he said sounded like a sneer and his condescending tone made Jude's skin crawl even more than Liam's arrogant one. "We want to talk to you."

Jude thought about making a break for it, but they'd follow him home. They might even through a punch or two at him on the way. While Fooly was too scrawny and weak to do much else, Liam was an entirely different story. Jude wasn't in the mood for bruises or theatrics today, so he made himself stop at the end of the alley and he waited for Liam and Fooly to catch up to him.

"So, how's your sister?" Liam asked, as Jude knew he would. "In hiding? Pining over me? Figuring out a way to tell me she loves me?"

Jude rolled his eyes. If Liam's ego got any bigger, he wouldn't be able to move. _Then again, that might not be such a bad thing._

"Of course Callie's pining over you!" Fooly assured Liam. "She'd be crazy not to! You know how women like to play hard to get."

Jude readjusted the handles of his food basket further up his arm and then he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is Callie home?" Liam asked.

"No," Jude answered quickly.

"When will she be back?" Liam pressed, his eyes narrowing.

"Next week," Jude lied. "Later in the week, she thinks. She's not sure. It depends on work."

"A woman should not have to work."

"Then where should a woman be?" Fooly wondered.

"Well, _that_ woman should be in my bed," Liam boasted.

Disgusted, Jude turned his back on the duo. Objectively, Jude knew that his sister was attractive; Callie certainly wasn't ugly. However, just because he knew that men looked at his sister, that didn't mean he wanted to hear what they thought about her. Especially when it came from someone like Liam. In the past, he'd been a lot more graphic in front of Jude, but now Jude usually just walked away from him when he got anywhere near the subject of Callie doing anything.

"Jude, come back!" Fooly called.

"I have one more question for you!" Liam jogged a few steps and flung his arm around Jude's shoulders and Jude tried not to flinch at the contact. If there was someone that Jude didn't want touching him, it was Liam. "If I wrote your sister a letter, would you send it to her?"

"I wasn't aware you could write," Jude snapped before he could stop himself.

Liam's arm became tighter around Jude's shoulders. Jude thought it was the most subtle threat Liam had ever given him.

"Just answer the question," Liam encouraged him, though his tone was dark.

"Fine. If you manage to write a letter, I can manage to send it."

"Now, was that so hard?" Liam's voice was back to its usually friendly tone. "I'll see you soon, Jude. Tell your sister good things about me!"

As if Jude and Callie didn't have more important things to discuss.

Jude gave a small grunt and continued on his way. Liam and Fooly fell into the background and he was left alone for the duration of his short journey. He let himself into the tiny cottage that he and Callie shared. She was in the living room, carefully folding her clothes into a pack that would easily fit on the back of her saddle.

"I got your food," Jude said, laying it on the table for her.

"Thank you. How was the village today?"

"The same as always," Jude said, not without bitterness.

"Did you see Liam?"

"He's going to write you a letter."

Callie's lips puckered, as if she'd bitten into a lemon, and then she shook it off. "I wasn't aware he could write."

Jude smirked, but he let the subject drop. Talking about Liam never made Callie happy. "Are you almost ready to go?"

"I am ready. Just hand me lunch."

Jude picked up the food that he'd just put down and followed Callie back out the front door, around to their small stables where their one horse stood saddled. Phillipe, a large draft horse, pricked his ears at his humans as they entered. As was his habit, Jude greeted the horse, while Callie just secured her bundle to the saddle. Jude deposited her lunch in one of the saddle bags.

"Stay safe, Callie."

"I'll be back by the end of next week."

Jude hugged her goodbye.

" _You_ stay safe," Callie said sternly.

"I'm not a child!" Jude protested, though it were useless. Callie had been taking care of him for so long that Jude doubted she would ever see him as an adult.

"Stay safe," Callie repeated, and she was off.

Jude returned to their little cottage, and set about cleaning it. Tomorrow, he would do his early morning rounds to see if the farmers he usually did some odd jobs for needed assistance. They all had permanent farm hands, and Jude wasn't often needed until the busiest times of the year. Done cleaning the tiny cottage, Jude took a seat in their main room. There was a half-finished game of checkers on their small table. He and Callie had a small stack of games in the corner and he stared down at them. It was the one thing that he always liked, but Callie and he barely played anymore, and playing on his own wasn't any fun.

It was early, but Jude put himself to be anyway. There was nothing else he could do.

(-.-)

Jude woke to the whinny of a horse. At first, he ignored it. It was still early that it was dark outside, and he wished Phillipe would be quiet. It wasn't even close enough to time that the horse would have to be fed. It took a few minutes for him to realize that he didn't _have_ Phillipe. Phillipe was far away, with Callie.

Jude pushed the blankets off himself and raced out of the cottage and outside into the morning. Phillipe was standing on the front lawn, neighing desperately.

"CALLIE!" Jude yelled, grabbing onto Phillipe's reins. "Callie?"

There was no Callie. Her saddlebags were still strapped to him, and Jude opened them. She hadn't even eaten her lunch. Jude lost the ability to breathe. His sister could be out there, hurt or worse. She was all that he had! He tied Phillipe's reins to a fence post, so the spooked horse wouldn't bolt and ran back into the house. He pulled on better riding clothes and shoved his bare feet into boots, and then he was back out the door. He untied Phillipe's reins and boosted himself into the saddle.

"Where is she?" Jude demanded. He knew the horse was intelligent, now it was time for the animal to prove it. "Take me to Callie!"

He kicked the horse into a canter and headed the way that Callie would have had to go. He never looked back.

They entered the dark woods all too quickly.

"CALLIE!" Jude shouted. "CALLIE!"

There was nothing but the subtle sounds of the forest around him. Jude and Phillipe pressed forward, and Jude's heart continued to thud at twice the pace it should have. He never stopped calling out for his sister, but he never got an answer either. Phillipe was exhausted and could not keep up a break neck pace, and Jude reluctantly let the animal walk. The sun was at a high point in the sky when Jude came to a crossroads. One way, he knew, was the way that Callie _should_ have gone. But to the other way, to the spookier left path, were hoof prints that looked large enough to have been made by Phillipe. The horse nearly refused to take that path, but Jude coaxed him forward. When they were a few steps down the path, Jude halted Phillipe and looked behind him. The prints matched. Phillipe, at least, had gone this way recently. He hoped that Callie had still been with him. They rode, straight and slow, down the path. It took an hour, perhaps two, for Jude to see the wolf prints up ahead in the mud, covering Phillipe's tracks.

The horse began to spook, though there was nothing around to have done so. Jude stood up in his stirrups, giving himself a better look around. Phillipe's footprints had stopped up ahead, meaning that, at some point, he had veered off the path. Jude wasn't a very good tracker, and the trees were blocking the sunlight as it was. He looked down at the ground, steering Phillipe the way that he had thought Phillipe had gone just hours earlier. Phillipe continued to get antsy about nothing, which convinced Jude that he was going the right way. Clearly, Phillipe remembered this path, and he remembered the wolf prints, which were getting more and more numerous.

He prayed that Callie hadn't fallen from Phillipe and become a victim of the hungry pack. He began to shake at the very thought. Not his sister. He wouldn't know what to do without her.

Phillipe stopped.

"What is it?" Jude whispered. He sat up and looked around. As it had been for hours, there was nothing but trees. The daylight was certainly beginning to dim, though, and Jude urged Phillipe on. He couldn't do this in the dark. "CALLIE!"

Nothing.

He kicked Phillipe on, and the horse moved, reluctantly dragging his limbs.

"CALLIE!" His voice echoed back to him.

Jude looked up and squinted. A break in the trees was coming. He moved Phillipe into a trot and they burst into what he thought was a clearing. Instead, Jude found himself face to face with something so unexpected he jerked back on Phillipe's reins, stopping the horse mid-step. There was a black stone palace in front of him in the middle of this thick forest. Jude stared at it, breathless and scared. There was something about the palace that was sending shivers down his spine. He went to turn Phillipe and leave it alone, when something inside of his massive iron gate caught Jude's eye.

There was a boot.

Jude's heart plummeted as he saw it. That wasn't any shoe. He _knew_ that shoe. It was Callie's. She'd walked out with them on yesterday. He dismounted from Phillipe and walked forward, leading the tentative horse. He pushed on the gates and they opened with an unearthly shriek. Jude expected someone, or something, to come rushing out at the sound, but there was no movement. It would make sense that it was abandoned. He shut the gate behind he and Phillipe, the howls of the wolves on his mind. He walked across the eerie courtyard and picked up the shoe, just to be sure. But it was Callie's. He called out for her again, but there was no response. He tied Phillipe up and steeled his nerve to go inside the palace. If she had been injured, she could be in there unconscious.

The large doors were fairly easy to push open.

Jude blinked, casting his eyes about the foyer. There was no dust about, and there were even candles that were lit. _Someone_ was here, someone beyond his sister. It was an inhabited palace. He was partially relieved. That meant that she might have received medical attention had she shown up here hurt. The other part of him was concerned. No one had come out to greet him, and no one had noticed Callie's boot in the yard. Whoever lived here might not be _nice_.

"Hello?" he called. His voice was quaking. Callie had always been much braver than he, and Jude found that he shook more with every step he took inside. "I'm looking for my sister. Callie? Hello?"

He thought he heard whispering. He spun around, but there was _nothing_. Maybe his paranoia was getting to him. He crept further inside. Some parts were more lit than others, and Jude followed the trail of light. Logically, the more light there was, the more likely he was to find someone.

"I don't mean to trespass," he called anxiously. "I'd just like to find my sister. Hello? Callie?"

There was that strange whispering sound again. This time, he thought that it was coming from ahead of him, up a long flight of stone stairs. Jude grabbed one of the three pronged candelabras that were stationed about, and began to ascend the stairs.

"Hello? Is there someone here? Callie?"

" _Jude?!"_

"CALLIE!" Jude raced up the remainder of the stairs. "Callie?"

Her hands were stretching out between bars in a door. He ran to her, holding the candelabra up so that he could see his way across the stone floor. He fell to his knees in front of the door so that he was eye level with the bars, and grabbed one of her freezing hands with one of his own; with the other, he held up the candles so that he could see her terrified face.

"What are you doing in there? How do I get you out?" He let go of her to grab the door handle, but it was locked.

"You have to run!" she shrieked.

Jude froze. He'd never heard his fearless sister sound so terrified before.

"What's going on?"

"You're not going to believe me," she said, "but you just have to go. Never look back, Jude. Promise."

"I'm not going to leave you here! There has to be –"

There was a roar that cut off his words. In front of him, Callie went absolutely rigid and Jude dropped the candelabra in shock. It fell to the ground and hissed out. In the semi darkness, Jude reached out and found Callie's hands, as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had never heard such an unholy sound.

"Run when you get the chance," Callie whispered.

"What are you doing here?"

The new voice was deep and gravelly; it sounded like the voice of something that could have made the roar. Jude was terrified to turn around, but he did, only to find that the area they were in was too dark for him to see much of anything but a large, bulky shape across the room from him. The only burst of light came from an opening in the roof above them, but the thing across from him was careful to stay in the shadows. He sucked in a deep breath, and he felt Callie's hand start to let go of his own, and he got a burst of bravery. Not his sister.

"Who are you?"

"This is _my_ castle," the voice snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for my sister," Jude said. "Let her go."

"She is my prisoner," the voice said, and the thing shifted.

Jude's heart picked up speed as the huge outline of the creature before him became apparent again. He sucked in a deep breath. "Let her go."

"She shouldn't have trespassed here."

Jude looked down at Callie's pale, shaking hands. "Let her go, please!"

A snarl ripped through the room.

"I'll do anything!" Jude pleaded.

"Just run!" Callie ordered him, but, perhaps, for the first time in his life, Jude didn't obey her.

"You have nothing that I want."

"Go," Callie begged. "Just go. Jude, you don't understand –"

"Take me!"

The creature drew in a sharp breath. " _You_?"

" _NO!"_

"Take me instead of her."

The creature snarled. "You would do that?"

"Yes," Jude answered, without hesitation. "I would, if you would let her go."

A quieter, deep noise sounded from the creature. "You know that you must promise to stay here forever."

He felt Callie impatiently scratching at his back, but he ignored her. He was doing this _for_ her. Whatever happened next, whatever came of this, she deserved this. She had real goals and real desires of a life, while Jude had always just relied on her.

"C-come into the light," he said.

There was a snort, and then the awkward sounds of movement. The creature moved into the single shaft of light in the room, and Jude couldn't hold in his gasp. _This_ was what Callie had been trying to warn him about. The ungodly creature was easily eight feet tall, perhaps more. There were large, terrible horns curling out of its head, which housed a jaw full of pointed teeth. Jude's gaze roamed over the beast, noting the large claws with terror. The beast was covered in hair, and what vestiges of clothing it still wore were torn and tattered; there was a dark cloak around its shoulders and grey trousers around his lower body, although they stopped halfway down his animal legs. Jude stood, quivering and transfixed by the sight before him. The thing before him was a conglomerate of nightmares, and Jude was frozen.

"Jude, just go," Callie begged.

Jude knew what he had to do. "You have my word. I'll stay with you."

"Done," the Beast growled.

"Jude, no, no!" Callie fought back as the Beast tore the door to her cell open and grabbed her in his large claws. "Don't do this! Let him go. I'll stay your prisoner!"

"Callie!" Jude reached out to her, but she was gone in an instant, her screams carrying through the night.

Jude rushed to the window in her cell, watching as the Beast threw her into a carriage, and then she was gone, and he was all alone.

Except for the beast.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	3. Chapter 2

"Jude! _Jude_! JUDE! Don't take my brother, please! I'm your prisoner!"

Prince Connor threw the begging woman into the old carriage, which stood up on its own. He slammed the door shut.

"Take her to the village," he ordered, and the carriage was off, keeping the woman sealed inside.

He stood in the courtyard on his own for a moment, looking up at the dark night sky. He turned his head to stare at the tower, where he knew that the boy was standing in the window. _Jude_ , Connor thought. The woman had called him Jude. He couldn't stand the thought of the boy catching sight of him, so Connor scrambled back inside of the palace, where a few of his servants were waiting for him. Lena was eyeing him; if she were a human and not a book, Connor was sure that she would have had her arms crossed over her chest. He knew that she would not approve of what he had just done.

"You didn't _have_ to be so cruel," she said. "They're only young."

"I know," Connor growled.

"They're _siblings_ ," Jesus pointed out, waving his candle sticks around; Lena leapt out of the way. After all of these years, he had still not learnt to be careful and she did not want to be set ablaze.

" _So_?"

"So, they're _siblings_ ," Jesus repeated. "Perhaps the boy could break the …" his voice faltered as Connor pinned him with a glare, but Jesus still whimpered, "spell."

"There's no hope," Connor said. He wished that the servants didn't know that about him; he wished that their hopes had vanished the moment he sent the girl away. They could spend eternity being angry with him, but it was better than coming close and losing it, or having the chance and giving it away. For however long the boy was here, Connor would be wondering, and he thought it would drive him completely over the edge of madness.

"There's always hope," Lena said.

Connor didn't believe her.

"It couldn't hurt to play nice," Brandon added.

Connor grunted at the conductor's stick, and Brandon hopped closer to Jesus.

"At least not leave him in the tower," Lena urged. "A room couldn't hurt."

Connor stared toward the stairs that would take him to the tower. With his acute hearing, he could faintly hear the boy weeping for his sister. He refused to allow himself to hope that the spell could somehow be broken; no one could love him. The boy was, after all, his prisoner. But, perhaps, Lena was right. He scowled. Lena was often right. The boy was his prisoner _forever_. Connor could gift him a bed. He had many unused rooms now. He snatched Jesus into his paw to use for a light and ascended the steps. Brandon and Lena did not follow.

Jude's crying became louder with every step that Connor took. When Connor stood in the mouth of the cell, he came across a truly pathetic picture. Jude was draped at the window, staring off in the distance, with tears rolling down his cheeks. It took Connor a moment to place the expression on Jude's face: agony. Jude had loved his sister, Connor realized. Jude was capable of love.

He cleared his throat, announcing his presence.

Jude whipped around. "I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

Jude was also capable of a temper.

Connor had nothing to say to the boy's outburst. He refused to say that he had never considered the fact that Jude would _want_ to say goodbye or that Jude had taken his sister's place out of love, instead of some misguided sense of loyalty or some kind of debt.

"I, uh." Connor glanced at Jesus, who waved his lit wicks in Connor's face. "I'll show you to your room now."

Jude's rigid muscles softened in confusion. "My room?"

"Unless you want to stay here!"

"Oh, um, no," Jude said. "I wouldn't."

"Come along then."

Connor led Jude down the steps, and into the inner parts of the palace. He kept a few steps ahead of Jude, keeping one of his ears flicked backward to catch every step and every movement of Jude's. His other ear was pointed toward Jesus, who was whispering at him.

"Say something!"

Connor didn't know what to say. He'd never spoken to someone like Jude before. In his former life, where he had been a prince and his father had been king, Connor had spoken to either nobles, for which there was practically a script, or tutor and servant playmates, and he hadn't needed to make a good impression on them, for at the end of the day, he was still a prince and they were but servants. Jude was a real person, and he was a person that he wanted to be good for. If not because _he_ was hopeful, but because his servants clearly _were_ hopeful. After so long, Lena couldn't have hidden her earlier expressions from him if she had tried. And he owed them effort. He was, after all, the reason that they were trapped the way that they were and the reason that they would remain that way forever.

Connor turned his head slightly, so that he could catch a glance at Jude. The boy, who really wasn't a boy – he looked to be about Connor's age – was staring around him, taking in the grand tapestries, artwork, and suits of armour that lined the palace. He was likely a boy from the village, if his work clothes and calloused hands were to judge from, and had probably never seen such finery. He was a handsome boy, with light hair and dark eyes. His skin was tanned, likely from outside work, and his mouth was curled into an 'O' as his head swivelled to look at a statue.

" _Say something_ ," Jesus repeated.

It was easy for Jesus to say. In his former life, when he had been a carefree teen with free range of the palace, he had been a charmer. He'd had good looks and an easy-going smile. He'd sent many a maid or kitchen servant into a swoon. Connor had never done so. Even if he had the opportunity to flirt with someone that he had been genuinely attracted to (not that it would have ever happened under his father's rule), it wouldn't have been allowed. He was a prince. If his life hadn't been interrupted the night of his birthday, by a beggar with a rose, he would have married for two reasons: a political alliance and an heir. It would have been a woman. It would have been a princess. And Connor would have had to make it work. His stomach began to churn. His life had been interrupted and he was no longer under his father's rule. At the very least, he was free to admit to himself that Jude was handsome.

"I, um, hope you're happy here."

Jude didn't say anything, but his footsteps seemed to falter.

Jesus waved his candles about again, but Connor had trouble thinking of something further to say.

"The castle is your home now." Yes, that sounded good. Jude was a prisoner, but he was also a long term resident. If Lena was going to insist on letting him be comfortable, Connor might as well let him be comfortable. "Feel free to look around. Just stay out of the West Wing."

"What's in the –"

" _Nothing_ ," Connor snapped. He paused in front of a door; one of the most lavish spare rooms, that his father would have reserved for only the most important of guests. As Jude was the only guest the palace was ever likely to see again, Connor supposed that it was rightfully his. "Here's your room."

Jude rested his hand on one of the ornate door handles. "Thank you."

"Are you hungry?"

" _No_."

"I'll see you for breakfast," Connor said. Jude's denial of hunger felt strangely like a rejection, and he was determined to ignore that.

"Fine." Jude entered his room, and the door shut loudly behind him.

Connor stared at the closed door for a moment, feeling the strangest urge to knock on it again and tell Jude that he was being _rude._ Connor was not someone to be ignored! He was lifting his large paw upward when Jesus hit him on the head with one of his metal pseudo-limbs.

"Mom will murder you," Jesus hissed.

It was only the mention of Lena that made Connor drop his hand. He slunk away from the door, eager to get away from Jude. He heard the boy begin to cry again, and Connor couldn't stand that. He bounded down the stairs, and down into the main foyer. Brandon and Lena were there, as was Stef. Appropriately, she had been transformed into a suit of armour. She was the only one lucky enough to retain a humanoid form, and Connor often found himself jealous of her metal body. S _he_ didn't look like a nightmare.

"There was a horse left outside," she said to Connor. "I tended to it and put it in the stables."

Connor nodded. He didn't care about the horse.

"The poor boy," Lena fussed. "He must feel so alone."

Connor put Jesus down and looked up the stairs. He knew what alone felt like. Even though his servants, as they were the only thing he had left now, tried to be there for him, he always felt lonely. No one could truly understand him or how he felt, and it kept him trapped inside of himself.

"He'll be joining us for breakfast," Connor said to the group. "Make sure that it's one of Chef's best!"

"Yes, Master," Stef said. "We'll make sure of it."

Connor left them, though Lena called out his name. He retired to his lonely room, going out onto the balcony and then climbing up onto the roof. The roof was where he went to be alone. None of the servants could reach him here in their new forms, and he liked being outside. It calmed the beast inside of him. Connor tilted his head back to look up at the night sky. The world was so vast and endless, and, still, it could not take Connor's mind off his new prisoner. The possibilities of having a guest, a _male_ guest, after so long of nothingness … No. He could not allow himself to do this.

When Connor looked toward the moon again, all he saw was a rose.

(-.-)

Jude sank to his knees just inside the grandiose doors. He couldn't begin to hold in his tears, and he didn't even try. Callie, the one constant in his life, the only thing that he could count on, was _gone._ He knew that it was the right thing to do, as Callie's life meant more than his own. His sister couldn't survive in a cage, whereas Jude knew that he could suffer through without going mad. It didn't make it easy. He hadn't gotten to tell her goodbye; he hadn't gotten to tell her everything that he _should_ have. There were all kinds of thoughts that he had kept to himself, since it was the type of thing that he had just assumed that Callie would know. He loved her, he appreciated everything that she had done for him, and he hoped that she would someday be truly happy.

But now she was gone, and he would never see her again. He was stuck in this palace, with a beast, _forever_.

"Oh, don't cry."

Jude rocked backward, flat onto his butt, his back against the door. He looked into the dark room in fear. Could there be more than one beast?

"I'm sure that it's not as terrible as you think it is."

In the moonlight, Jude spotted a candelabra on the wall. He made his way over to it and lit the wicks with shaking hands.

"W-who's there?" he asked. He'd meant to demand, but his voice came out weak. Callie was gone and so was his bravery.

"It's just me."

Jude stared. The _wardrobe_ was talking to him. It was a brown wardrobe; nicely decorated with floral carvings. And, there, right above the wardrobe doors, was a face. That was moving. And talking. He had been here an hour, and he was already losing his mind. Jude sank back down into the thick rug on the floor. Perhaps he had overestimated his ability to cope with this place. Even that didn't make him doubt his decision, though he began to rock back and forth.

"I'm Mariana," the wardrobe told him brightly. "What's your name?"

She sounded so friendly and so sweet that Jude couldn't help but answer her question.

"I haven't seen you before."

"I – I – I," Jude stuttered. Through his tears, the story came out, Mariana a sympathetic voice the whole way through. She wasn't Callie, but she was nicer than the Beast.

"It might not be as bad as you think," Mariana soothed him. "I know that Master can seem a little rough around the edges, but …"

"He's keeping prisoners," Jude pointed out. "He's a _beast_."

Mariana's wooden face was sympathetic, but he could tell that she had nothing to reply to that. She settled on, "It's late. You should try to sleep. You don't know how things will look in the morning."

"I don't know …"

There was a knock on the door. Jude's breath caught, but he went to answer it anyway. On the other side of the doorway was a kitchen cart, topped with a teapot, its accessories, and some biscuits. There was also a book, sitting on the opposite end of the cart. Jude stuck his head out into the hallway, but he saw no trace of anyone else. Could the Beast have been nice enough to do this for him?

Jude wheeled the cart inside.

"Hello!"

Jude was proud of himself for not jumping quite as much this time, although the fact that the _book_ now had a face made him want to collapse back on the floor.

"H-hi."

"I'm Lena," the book replied. "I thought you might like a little snack before bed."

"That was very nice of you, thank you."

Jude wheeled the cart closer to the bed and then he sat down on the edge of it. He sank into the mattress and he nearly groaned. He'd never been near a mattress so comfortable. He pulled his legs up on the bed too, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"How are you feeling?" Lena asked, sympathetically.

Jude sipped at the tea, unsure of how to answer it anymore. After pouring his heart out to Mariana, the _wardrobe_ , he just felt empty.

"We'll see what the morning looks like," he finally murmured, feeling as if it would be rude not to answer.

He was talking to books and wardrobes and was worried about offending them. But they weren't inanimate objects. Jude wondered just what they were.

"You've been talking to my daughter," Lena said.

"What?"

"Mariana," Lena said.

"You give good advice," Mariana said. "I thought that he could use it too."

"Thank you," Jude said. "You've been … kind."

"Did you think we wouldn't be?" Mariana asked.

Jude set the teacup down, thinking of the Beast. He had no ideas of what to expect of this place. He hadn't been thinking of his future when he had sworn himself over to the dingy palace; he hadn't even been thinking about a future with the beast, let alone any other inhabitants of this strange place.

"Are you thinking of the Master?" Lena guessed.

"He's a _beast_ ," Jude blurted.

"On the outside," Lena agreed. "On the inside, there's a lot more."

Jude closed his eyes. He didn't want to be rude, but that didn't matter to him. The beast didn't have his sympathy. The Beast had torn everything away from him. If he weren't so cruel, Callie would never have been a prisoner in the first place.

"Perhaps I should let you sleep," Lena murmured.

"Thank you," Jude said.

The cart wheeled away on its own. Jude watched it go, and the door slammed shut in its wake. He sat there in the dim light, thinking about what kind of a place this _was_. Beasts ruled the castle, his wardrobe was a confidant, and a book brought him tea. Whatever it was, it was his home now, just as the Beast had told him.

Jude stood and began to undress for bed. Unexpectedly, Mariana hurled sleeping clothes at him. Jude let the garments rest in his hands. He didn't want to get caught up in the finery of the beast's palace, but the fabric felt too elegant for his work-roughened hands to hold. Still, Jude dressed in the sleeping clothes, snuffed the candles, and put himself to bed. He pulled the curtains around the ornate bed, as it was awkward to think of Mariana just a few steps away from him. Jude settled in against the pillows, and found himself missing the uncomfortable mattress of the little cottage.

He just missed his sister.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** ** _The_** ** _Fosters_** **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	4. Chapter 3

Connor was up early the next morning. He bounded from his quarters and down into the kitchens, where several staff were already at work. They worked with a cheery fluidity – they were happy to have a chance to create a _real_ meal. Connor's eating habits had been more than a little strange since his transformation and the servants no longer required their own sustenance. But there was a human in the palace that would care about seasonings and flavours and different kinds of foods and properly cooked meat! The oven, who had once been the head chef, was fired up and ready to go, while frying pans and bowls flung themselves around the room to catch the fruits and vegetables and cut meats that the knives were sending everywhere. Connor located Lena, who was in a corner of the kitchen, watching everything with a careful eye. Behind her, was Stef, who often carried other servants from place to place, as it took some of them long periods of time to move about the palace.

"What time do you think he'll be awake to eat?" Connor asked.

Lena gave him that knowing look. "Give him some time. He had a hard night."

Connor straightened up, letting out a growl. "He has until the food is cooked."

"You can't control –"

"He. Has. Until. The Food. Is Cooked."

"Acting like that won't get you anywhere," Stef said.

Connor glared at her.

"You need to be kind," Lena added. "Kindness earns more than anything else. He misses his sister and this is all new to him. A little sympathy could go a long way."

Connor clicked his claws together. "What … What do you suggest I do?"

"Being polite," Stef said. "Mind your manners."

Manners, right. He could do manners … Maybe. It had been a long time since anyone had expected Connor to act like anything in particular. Connor deflated at that thought.

"He's just going to hate me," Connor said. "What's the point?"

"The point is that you never know," Lena said.

"I'm a beast."

"Show him you're something else," Stef said. "He will only know what you allow him to."

"I _am_ a beast."

"What do you have to lose?" Lena challenged him. "We know the rose and the timeline as well as you do."

Connor dropped down onto all fours. "NO! WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT!"

He whirled around, and Stef picked up Lena in her arms, as if to protect her. He clenched his hands, although there was no give to the stone floor. He roared, trying to release his frustration. They didn't talk about the rose, that evil, slowly dying, rose and all of its falling petals. They didn't talk about how close his eighteenth birthday truly was, because it _did not matter._ Nothing was going to change, boy or no boy. They were _doomed_.

Lena was watching him, with her soft eyes, and Connor ran. He couldn't take her look, because he _knew_ what he was doing to them; he knew what he had done to them. He raced off to his rooms in the west wing, throwing a table at the far wall.

Nothing mattered.

(-.-)

Jude couldn't bring himself to move. He couldn't tell if it was morning yet; the curtains around his bed were too thick. But he didn't care. He just knew that he didn't have the strength or the determination to sit up out of bed. The world was not what he had known yesterday, when he had awoken in a panic to find Phillipe alone in front of the house. And the world would never be what it was like two days ago, when he and Callie had been talking about moving to a bigger place, something more than the tiny town that had always treated them as strange, and find where they belonged in the world. Callie was gone forever. He had signed his life over to this castle and to the beast in the castle; he was a prisoner forever.

He didn't regret the decision. He still believed that it was better him than Callie, but that didn't mean that it didn't make his heart ache and his eyes fill with tears. His entire life, it seemed, it had just been him and Callie. He hoped that she was fine. He hoped that she was able to move on with her life. She was strong. She should be capable.

"Oh, Jude," Mariana trilled. "It's almost time for breakfast! What would you like to wear? I'm _full_ of clothes I know will fit you!"

 _Breakfast_. The Beast. The last thing that Jude wanted to do was face his captor, especially over something like breakfast.

"No," he forced out.

"No?" Mariana's voice faltered. "He's the _Master_. You can't say no to the Master."

"I don't want any breakfast."

Before Mariana could say a word, there was a knock on the door and a male voice said, "Sir, the Master would like you to join him for breakfast."

"No, thank you," Jude called.

"You can take your time," the voice replied. "The table will be ready soon."

"No, thank you. I wouldn't like any breakfast this morning," Jude clarified.

"N-not have breakfast?"

"No, thank you," Jude said.

"You haven't eaten," Mariana said. "Breakfast might do you good."

No. He would have to come face to face with the Beast, and Jude just didn't want to do that right now. Jude was resigned to his fate, but that didn't mean that he wanted to play house and have a nice breakfast with his captor. For whatever reason, he had been given a bedroom when Callie had been confined to a cage in a tower. He didn't know what those reasons might be, but it was unsettling to realize.

There was another knock at the door. "Sir, breakfast."

"No, thank you," Jude said firmly.

"Please, sir? It's breakfast time."

"No, thank you. I will not be going to breakfast."

There was a scraping noise from outside the door, and then he heard the sound of whoever it was leaving. He rolled over in his bed and faced the portion of wall that he could see. He wasn't used to spending the morning in bed. He sat up and opened the bed curtains.

"Are you going to breakfast?" Mariana asked hopefully.

"No, I just thought that I would get dressed."

Mariana looked disappointed, but then she closed her eyes as Jude began to take off the sleep clothes. He put back on his clothes from yesterday, though Mariana tried to offer him something from her drawers.

"Who did those belong to?" Jude asked her.

Mariana hesitated. "Once, we were different. And we had guests that weren't … you."

"I'm a _prisoner_ ," Jude reminded her with a snap.

Mariana opened her mouth again, but was interrupted by a pounding on the door. Jude took a fearful stumble backward. The room seemed to shake with the force of the knock and Jude was scared the wood would bend and shatter under the Beast's powerful paw.

"WHY WON'T YOU COME TO BREAKFAST!?"

Jude went backward again, crashing into the cold wall. The night had somehow managed to dull how terrifying the Beast actually _sounded_. Jude didn't know how to answer the Beast, and so he cringed against the wall, waiting for the doors to fly open. After the Beast actually charged into the room, Jude didn't know what would happen. He was sure that he wouldn't like it. He was sure that it would _hurt_.

He heard the low grunts of the Beast, and then, a softer knock. "Will you come to breakfast?"

Jude sucked in a breath. He didn't know if he could speak without his voice shaking. But if he was going to be a prisoner here _forever_ , he had to grow a spine now. He imagined that he had Callie's strength and spoke, proud that his voice remained steady. "No."

Jude heard the beginnings of a growl, and he almost flinched.

"Will you come down to breakfast … _please_?"

"No, _thank you_."

The Beast growled and he knocked again. "Breakfast, _please_?"

"I said, no, thank you!"

"If you don't come down for breakfast," the Beast said evenly, "you don't eat."

"Fine!" Jude fired back, although his stomach gnawed at him. It had been so long since he'd had a meal.

There was a low, rumbling noise from the other side of the door, and then Jude heard the heavy footsteps of the Beast storming away. He gasped, feeling the strangest sense of relief. He'd been so sure that the Beast was about to storm in and that he was about to be hurt. Jude fell to the floor again. He didn't know what he was doing.

"Breakfast should still be on the table," Mariana said.

"I can't cater to him," Jude told her. "Not after that."

Not that he'd had any intention of catering to the Beast to begin with.

He spent his day in his room, ignoring the hunger pangs in his stomach. He'd felt worse, when he and Callie were both young and they hadn't had the ability to feed themselves consistently. He paced about, trying to distract himself. Boredom had never ran so rampant in his days. He couldn't remember the last time that he had a day in which he had _nothing_ to do. There was always some work to be found, a chore to do, or an errand to be run. Now, the only thing he had to was hide and explore the aspects of his room. He supposed he _could_ leave the bedroom – the Beast had said last night the palace was his home, and he had said this morning only that Jude wasn't allowed to _eat_ – but Jude's spine wasn't strong enough to carry him out of his room.

He made up his bed and tied to curtains back, because his hands felt restless. There was a small writing desk over in the corner, and he poked around it, although there wasn't anything of note. There were plush chairs and a vanity, along with some sparse bookshelves that no longer housed anything. Aside from the actual pieces of furniture, most knick-knacks had been cleared out of the room, and Jude wondered why. He almost asked Mariana, but she had decided to nap. He watched her snore for a moment, fascinated. She was so human-like, despite her appearance. He wondered how she became like this.

There was clearly something wrong here. Wardrobes and books weren't supposed to talk and beasts weren't supposed to exist.

Jude watched the sunset from the window seat in his bedroom, and he looked down at the grounds. The shadows crept across the surrounding forest and up across the ominous palace courtyard. He looked to the horizon and wondered if Callie had made it home safely yet. He wondered if he would ever know. He rested his head down on his knees. His heart hurt.

"How are you feeling?"

Jude looked up at Mariana's voice. "Do you have a family?"

"We told you last night, Lena is my mom," Mariana said.

Oh, right.

"I have a twin brother," Mariana added. "Well, we're quite different now. He's a set of candlesticks."

Jude was momentarily distracted. "What happened here? Why is this place like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mariana said nervously. "We are what we are. It is what it is."

Jude stood up from the window seat, stretching slightly. He crossed over to his door, laying his hand on the handle.

"Where are you going?" Mariana asked him.

"To get something to eat," Jude decided.

"The Master said –"

"What's the point of me starving when there's food?" Jude asked her. "And if he kills me for it, at least I'm no longer a prisoner."

"The Master wouldn't!"

"I don't know that," Jude reminded her. He glanced at the wardrobe, and she appeared concerned. "I'm not suicidal."

Mariana didn't have any reply to that, and Jude didn't know what else to say, and so he left his room. He stepped out into the hallway, looking around. He wasn't sure which way to go. He didn't know his way around at all. He listened carefully for a moment, trying to hear if the Beast was around. Surely he would hear a creature that big approach.

Jude wavered for a moment, and then he went back the way that the Beast had led him last night. He found the main staircase and descended quickly. The kitchens would have to be somewhere on the bottom level, right? He scurried around the dark hallways, quickly backing away when he found some that were mostly covered in dust. Then, he began to hear voices. He recognized one as the male voice from this morning and then a female voice that he was sure was Lena, the book from last night. But there was another male voice and another female voice that he didn't recognize.

He made his way toward them slowly, waiting for the Beast's growly tone. But he didn't hear the Beast, and he knocked hesitantly on the door. The voices inside paused, and Jude opened it. He didn't pause upon seeing a strange collection of objects gathered in the kitchen, all having a conversation with strange expressions on the faces that they shouldn't have. Jude stepped inside the warm room.

"I, um, I was wondering if I could please have something to eat."

Lena perked up, and teetered forward almost as if she were about to fall. The suit of armour behind her reached out and steadied her.

"Thank you," Lena murmured. "Sure, we can fix you up something!"

A long black stick, with a rather squished on face jumped forward a step. "The master said –"

Jude recognized his voice as the one who had tried to summon him down to breakfast.

"Brandon!" the suit of armour admonished. Her voice had a hollow quality, as it rang inside of her empty body; she was the only one of them that didn't have facial features. "It would be wrong to not feed the poor boy."

Jude didn't know how he felt about being called 'poor boy', but she sounded genuine about it, not condescending. Her head tilted toward him, and though Jude couldn't see if she had any eyes, he felt that she was looking at him.

"A little something," Brandon muttered.

" _Brandon_ ," the armour repeated. "He's our guest. Even the Master wouldn't let him starve to death."

"Thank you," Jude said. "I really don't require much."

"Nonsense, we'll feed you," Stef said.

The candlesticks on the table spun around to face him. "I'm Jesus, by the way."

"Oh! Right!" Lena exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. This is Brandon and this is Stef. Everyone, this is our guest, Jude."

"Hello," Jude said. He awkwardly pulled out one of the small chairs around the table, but Lena immediately began to fuss at him.

"We'll have dinner in the dining hall," she said.

"Oh, really, you don't have to –" Jude began, but Jesus was waving his candles in Jude's direction, and Jude didn't particularly feel like being set on fire, so he stepped away from the table.

With practiced ease, Jesus leapt down from the table onto the stone floor.

"Be a _host_ ," Stef whispered to Brandon.

He gave her an exasperated look, but Brandon followed after the candlesticks. Jesus beckoned at Jude to join the two of them.

"This way!" Jesus said.

Jude followed, walking with short steps, for as quick as the two objects moved, they couldn't move as fast as he did, even with his naturally slow pace. Jesus managed to push open the double doors that led to the grand dining room, and Jude stared around, wondering when he would get over how magnificent the palace was. Even though it was clear that much of it was falling into disrepair and had been neglected for several years, even though most of the décor was grim, it was still beautiful. Jesus waved him into a seat at the end of the table, while he and Brandon were able to leap onto the wood surface. Jude sat down.

"What do you feel like?" Brandon asked.

" _Steak_ ," Jesus answered. "Bacon. Chocolate. Everything ..."

"Not _you_."

"You miss it too," Jesus muttered, and then he hopped down the table toward Jude. "What would you like?"

"Oh, um, whatever you have is fine."

Jesus clapped the two candle stems that he seemed to use as arms together. The metal clanged. The doors from the kitchen burst open, and trolleys wheeled themselves in. He gasped as his food was bumped onto a plate in front of him, and he waited for his plate and his silverware to move. Jude didn't know if he could eat with it if it talked and moved like Jesus and Brandon.

"Is everything in here alive?" Jude asked Jesus.

"No," Brandon answered quickly.

Jesus opened his mouth to say more, but Brandon bumped against Jesus, and Jesus' mouth snapped shut.

Jude trusted Brandon's word, and his utensils hadn't moved, so he picked it up and began to taste the meat and vegetables on the plate in front of him. He cut pieces off and put it in his mouth; the meat nearly melted on his tongue and the vegetables were so well-seasoned and fresh that he could have died then and there. He hadn't known what to expect of a meal cooked by household objects, but clearly the chef knew what he was doing.

"Do you like it?" Jesus asked.

"It's wonderful," Jude said, speaking through an almost full mouth. He'd been so hungry. He hadn't realized how hungry until the food had touched his tongue. "Thank you!"

There was a harsh, creaking noise, and Stef made her way into the room, Lena in her arms.

"It's so wonderful," Jude said to them. At his side, another trolley appeared.

"Dessert?" Lena asked.

"You don't need to be so nice," Jude said, though he was already reaching for a pastry with a yellow cream in the middle.

"You're our guest!" Lena and Jesus said at nearly the same time.

"Nice to know you listen to me," Lena murmured to the candlestick.

"Always, Mom," he said.

Jude just stared at the interaction. They were a book and a candlestick, but there was so affection in just the words. Some part of him, the one that had been a tiny child who had known a mother's love, ached. Callie loved him, he knew that, but she was his sister, not his mother, and that had always been clear.

"We want you to be happy here," Stef said.

"You're very nice," Jude said honestly. "And you make me feel like a guest, though I know I'm a prisoner."

"We prefer the term guest," Stef said.

"Why don't Jesus and Brandon give you a tour of the castle in the morning?" Lena suggested. "It might help you feel a little more comfortable here."

"The Master did say to treat the castle as your home," Jesus reminded Jude.

"I'd like that," Jude finally said. He stifled a yawn. "Though I think I'd like to go to bed now."

"Sure, love," Stef said. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Um," Jude said. "I don't … remember where my room is."

"Here, I'll take you," Lena offered. Stef set her down on the table and she approached Jude. "Just pick me up, Jude, it's all right."

Feeling strange, Jude picked up the book. Lena _sounded_ like an adult woman, and Mariana had referred to her as her mother – and Jesus, the candlesticks, had to be the brother that Mariana had mentioned. The thought of carrying an adult woman around in his arms was strange. But she was a book. An enchanted book, nonetheless, because books didn't _talk_ , but it was odd. He faced her outward as he stood up and bid the others goodnight.

"Just go left out the main doors," she directed.

Jude waited until they were ascending the stairs to say, "May I ask you a strange question?"

"Sure."

"Is there anything on the inside of your pages?" he asked.

"Human anatomy," Lena answered. "That wasn't a strange question at all."

"I thought it might be out of bounds."

"How old are you, Jude?"

"Seventeen," Jude replied.

"You seem so old for seventeen."

Jude shrugged. "Callie and I only had each other. We both had to be adults. I would have rather grown up with her than stayed a child without her."

"You love her."

"She's my sister." Jude repeated, "We only had each other."

"Stop here," Lena said. "This is your room."

"Thank you," Jude told her. He gently sat her down on the floor. "I have another question."

She smiled at him, her strange lips stretching across the book's cover. "I hope I have an answer."

"Will I be expected to have breakfast with _him_ tomorrow?"

Her smile faded. "The Master was … upset that you decided not to join him this morning."

Jude crossed his arms low over his chest. He didn't want to care about the Beast's feelings; the Beast clearly didn't care about Jude's.

"Several of us spoke with him. He doesn't want you to be … unhappy here. The Master is tough to know and understand."

"I don't _want_ to understand him!" Jude cried. "He's a _beast!_ "

Lena pursed her lips. Finally, she said, "Tomorrow is a new day. Have a good night, Jude."

"Goodnight, Lena."

Jude pushed open his heavy bedroom doors and slipped inside.

(-.-)

 _He's a beast. He's a beast. He's a beast._

Connor raced through the palace halls, bounding up to his room in the west wing. He _shouldn't_ have been eavesdropping, but this was _his_ castle and that was _his_ servant speaking to _his_ prisoner. He had every right to know what was being said. And Jude was the first boy he'd ever seen since the spell had been cast. Jude was the _last_ chance to do anything about the spell. And so Connor had followed him as he had left his room and walked down to the kitchen. He had hovered far enough away from the dining hall that he would never be seen, but so that his acute hearing could catch every word uttered.

He had wanted to be angry about Jude eating, even after Connor had sworn he wouldn't. But he didn't. He didn't want to be overly cruel to the boy. Stef had chewed him out over his yelling stunt this morning, and Connor was still sulking. He was the prince. He was currently the prince of nothing and he was also currently a beast, but she was still his servant and he had still been a crown prince, once. He'd never expected her to speak to him that way.

Connor had been trying to indulge his curiousity about the boy all day. He had slunk about outside of Jude's door, waiting to see if he would emerge, though he'd never did. He'd perked up, even to see Jude when he'd left his room an hour ago. But it didn't matter. Connor didn't matter; the servants didn't matter; the spell didn't matter.

It was just as Connor had always known. He was a beast. Nothing would ever alter the fact that he was a beast, and that his heart was as cold and as black as his father's had been. No one could love him like this. He wasn't _worthy_ to be loved. He was a beast. No one would ever see him any differently. And Jude would never seem him any differently. He should give up now. What was the point of trying?

He made it to the west wing and he paced around the ruins of his bedroom. The furniture lay in smithereens and the curtains billowed in tatters. He crushed things even further with his four powerful paws as he glared about the room. His gaze kept being drawn to the rose that he protectively kept in his room. He hardly allowed his servants to look at it and, the more time that passed, the more obsessive Connor became with keeping it away from them. He didn't want them to realize how close they were to losing it all, though they knew when his birthday was and they knew the deadline.

The rose was glowing softly and it levitated within the glass dome. Connor approached the rose, looking at the petals that lay on the small brown table below the floating green stem. It was dying. Connor wanted to curse or cry; he was never sure which. He wanted to hate the Enchantress, for doing this to him instead of just killing him like she had his father. [BR1] He wanted to hate his father, for raising him this way. He even wanted to hate the mother he had never known, for dying and leaving him. In the end, he just hated himself, because he couldn't do anything but give into his beastly ways. He rose onto his hind legs and gripped the sides of the small table, staring down at the slowly wilting petals. They had less than a year and then this was all permanent. He felt splinters come off against the pads of his paws. As much as he wanted to grab the rose in his hands and shred its remaining petals, he couldn't. He didn't even know if he _could_. He had tried to smash the Enchantress' mirror once, but magic had protected it. He thought that the rose was probably protected in the same way.

He heard a metallic tapping sound and he waited. That was the sound of Jesus approaching. Over the years, it had become easy for him to differentiate their different ways of walking – if he could call what some of them did walking. Most of them had to hop about now.

"Master?" Jesus called, hitting the door, though not heavily. He couldn't generate enough force to knock properly.

"Enter," Connor said. He turned his back on the rose, hiding it behind his broad back.

Jesus hopped into the room just enough so that they could see one another. Even the servants were uncomfortable in the ruins of the west wing and only Lena, sometimes Stef in her company, could stand in the miserable space for longer than a casual conversation.

"Jude had dinner," Jesus confessed, and he flinched, waiting for Connor's temper.

"I know," was all Connor said, his shoulders sagging forward.

"Brandon and I are taking him on a tour of the castle tomorrow morning. It may be a good idea for you to join us," Jesus suggested. "You could get to know him. It could help with the spell."

"He doesn't want to know me," Connor snapped. "I don't want to hear any more about it!"

"Master –"

" _ENOUGH!"_

Jesus flinched back, the candles on his hands going out with the force of Connor's roar.

"Leave me!" Connor snapped.

Jesus didn't hesitate. He darted back out the door, which slammed shut behind him. The moment he was gone, Connor deflated again. He grabbed the magic mirror into his paws and made his way out of his room and up onto the roof. It was the space where he could be alone. He settled down and looked down at the silver hand mirror. All it reflected back was his grisly face.

"Show me the boy."

The surface seemed to wobble and stretch, and then the image cleared. Connor was shown a room in his own palace. Jude was seated on the large bed, dressed in the same clothes he'd arrived in and had been wearing all day today. He was chatting with Mariana. It took a moment, but then the mirror also gave him their words.

"You say that," Jude said, "But have you ever left this room?"

There was a sadness in Mariana's eyes. Once upon a time, Mariana had been active and fun. He had practically grown up with her, and he could remember how they had once chased each other across the palace; and how she had once tried to train he, Jesus, and Brandon to be dancers like the ones that sometimes came to his father's court. It had fallen flat; the boys had all seemed to have two left feet.

"The palace is a beautiful place," Mariana said.

Jude confessed, "I just don't want to run into the Beast. I don't _want_ to be afraid of him. I don't _like_ being scared. But … he does. He terrifies me. I'm not brave," Jude finished in a whisper.

Mariana began to answer, but Connor waved the mirror image away. He couldn't bring himself to listen anymore. He _terrified_ Jude. It was something that Connor should have been used to. He was a miniature version of his tyrant father; he was an angry beast. He would never be anything else and no one would ever see him any other way. Nor should they. He crumbled one of the aging shingles in his massive paw and let the pieces roll down the roof.

His servants were foolish to hope.

He curled his worn purple cloak around him, though he no longer needed it for protection from the elements. His fur would keep him more than comfortable on a late fall evening such as this one. He stayed perched on the roof, even as the night continued on. The moon rose and fell before him, but still, Connor couldn't bring himself to move. He stared as the strange shadows of the night turn to dawn. All through the night, the curse was on his mind. By extension, _Jude_ was on his mind. Connor knew that the time to fall in love and have someone love him back was quickly running out. Jude was his last chance. Jude was his only chance, throughout the long years. He could already feel the energy and hope that had the servants thrumming. They wanted to like Jude and be friends with Jude and make him happier here. But no matter how fantastic his servants were, they weren't _Connor._ Connor was the subject of this curse and his servants had simply been brought down with him.

Jude could love them all and it wouldn't matter; he'd never love Connor.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** ** _The_** ** _Fosters_** **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	5. Chapter 4

Jude was up early the next morning. There was a fresh bowl of steaming water on the table with soft towels, and he bathed himself in the water. Mariana convinced him to try on some of the clothes she had to offer, and though the pants were an inch too short and the shoulders of the shirt were a tad too loose, they were more comfortable than his dirt encrusted clothes.

"We'll get your clothing washed," she told him, "And we have seamstresses that can fix the clothes I have now."

"It's too much –"

Mariana smiled at him. "Trust me, we've been bored for so long that it's nice to be useful."

"Thank you," Jude said.

He had just finished dressing when there came a knock at the door. Jude opened it to find Jesus and Brandon standing at his door.

"Ready?" Jesus asked, and Jude nodded.

They set off down the halls, and while Brandon tried to describe the art style and history of the place, Jesus offered up the many features of the palace.

"These suits of armour are from the –"

"The stables are out back of the palace –"

" – a period of history that –"

"There's also a library, many gardens –"

"Which, I'm sure you knew. Of course, that was also when the country –"

"– kitchens, most are guest rooms –"

"Enough about that. Now, many of these paintings were commissioned by –"

"And that's the west wing."

Jude stopped instantly, recognizing the words. "What's up there?"

There was a short set of stairs leading upward to the west wing. It didn't _look_ any different from the rest of the palace, but Jude wanted to know why he was being kept out of there.

"The west wing? There's, um, nothing," Brandon said, but it wasn't even slightly convincing.

Jude put his foot on the bottom step, still staring upward.

"What would you like to see? Your horse?" Jesus offered.

"We have a games room! It's magnificent!"

"Games?" Jude said, though he was only momentarily distracted.

Brandon and Jesus seized at his question.

"Tons of games! Lots of games!"

"Huge room!" Jesus jabbered quickly. "So much to do!"

"Can I see it?" Jude asked.

"Yes, of course!"

Jesus and Brandon took off down the hallway, talking the whole way. Jude took a few steps along with them, but he let them get ahead. They didn't look back at him, too caught up in their banter. Jude looked back toward the west wing and made the decision. Moving as quietly as he could, he was up the stairs and into the west wing. The moment that he had turned the corner away from the stairwell and was into the area that he couldn't see from his previous vantage point, it was like a whole different world. It was grim and dusty and there were broken bits of wood and shattered mirrors along the hall. The very air seemed heavier here, but still Jude moved forward. He came into a great room, with more pieces of ruined furniture: a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and tables. Jude's heart lurched, and he hoped that none of them had been sentient like Mariana was. He looked around at the grimy walls. On the one right next to him, there was a portrait, though the delicate canvas had been slashed through. Jude turned and lifted one of the slashes back together, so that he could see the face of the painter's subject. It was a young boy, of perhaps twelve or thirteen. He had sandy hair and brilliant eyes. Jude stood for a moment, transfixed, and then he moved further into the room.

In the corner of the room, there was a soft pinkish glow that attracted his attention. Jude was drawn forward. The glow was emitted by a rose. It had a table to itself, and was covered by a large glass dome. Jude reached out and touched the glass of the dome. The rose inside was beautiful, but the bottom of the dome was littered by many fallen petals. He lifted the dome off. He wanted nothing more than to touch the flower. He carefully sat the heavy glass on the floor and was just reaching forward when a fearsome roar shook the room.

Jude whirled around, his breath in his throat. There was the Beast, standing in the middle of the room. Jude had no idea where he'd come from. The Beast bounded toward him and protectively placed the dome back on the rose. Then, he started in toward Jude, his eyes pinning Jude in place. He snorted and the air from his nostrils steamed.

" _What_ are you doing here?" he growled.

"I'm-I'm," Jude stuttered.

"You were told _never_ to come here!"

Jude kept backing up, but he hit one of the broken wardrobes and could go no further. "I'm sorry!"

The Beast splayed his claws and Jude closed his eyes in anticipation of his face being torn open. Instead, there was a heavy crashing sound, and Jude opened his eyes to see something fly across the room.

" _GET OUT!"_ the Beast screamed.

Jude didn't hesitate to obey. Out; he'd get out. He raced away from the Beast, not even pausing to go back to his room and grab his clothes or his riding cloak. Jesus had said the stables were in the back of the palace and that was where he would go. He couldn't do this. He couldn't live like this.

"Jude!" Stef was standing in the foyer.

Jude barely paused. He only spoke in the few moments that it took him to drag open the heavy front doors.

"I can't stay! I _can't_!"

He didn't bother to close the door behind him. An early snow had swept across the world and Jude battled his way through the drifts to the stables. Phillipe's saddle and bridle were hanging on his door and Jude had him ready to ride in moments. He mounted him and they flew from the stables. He didn't dismount to open the palace gates and he left those hanging open too. He kicked Phillipe into a canter and they burst into the woods.

"Go home!" Jude urged him. "Go home!"

Jude didn't know which way home was. He didn't know how to navigate these woods. He placed all of his trust in Phillipe and Phillipe raced on. It didn't take long before Jude heard the howling of the wolves. His heart caught and Phillipe shied to the side.

"Steady … Steady …" Jude put a calming hand against the horse's neck. "Come on."

Phillipe regained himself, but only for a moment. A snarling, grey wolf flew at Phillipe's side. The horse let out a squeal of terror and veered to the left. Jude kicked Phillipe's side, trying to keep him moving forward. The horse lurched, and for a moment, it seemed as if Phillipe would be able to outrun the animals. Then, the ground beneath Phillipe's hooves cracked and gave way. Horse and rider fell into the lake that they hadn't known was there, and Jude gasped as the cold water washed over him. He clung to Phillipe even tighter as the horse battled his way out of the lake and back onto solid ground. The two of them shook and shivered, but there was no time for their suffering as the wolves were smart enough to go around the lake, and were quickly approaching.

Phillipe was moving slower, even as his survival instincts kicked in. One of the wolves jumped for him, and though the deadly animal didn't reach Jude, his claws scratched across Phillipe's rump and the horse reared. Jude was thrown into the snow and he popped back upward with a cry. Phillipe's reins had gotten caught around a tree branch and his horse was trapped. Jude grabbed a large branch in his hands and approached the wolves. His only hope was too free Phillipe. A wolf leapt at him, and Jude tried his best to bat it away. The branch quivered in his hands and the wolf was barely affected; it recovered too quickly. Jude was able to make it to Phillipe, but there was no way that he'd be able to defend himself and free the reins. He was going to die here. He sucked in one quick breath after another. He was going to die here.

The wolves snarled and surrounded him, knowing that they had won. One leapt forward again, but then a growl more ferocious than any that the wolves could make rattled the woods. After only a few days, Jude knew that growl. The Beast!

The Beast barreled through the wolves, even as they tried to jump at him to bring him down. With ease, the Beast was able to fling them this way and that. Jude's heart jumped at the display of brute strength. It was so scary to know how easily the Beast could murder him. He turned his back on the grisly scene as one of the wolves was torn open, and he reached for Phillipe's reins. The sooner he got out of here the better. He freed the reins and threw them back over Phillipe's head. He shoved his foot in one of his stirrups and grabbed onto the saddle to hoist himself up. He glanced over his shoulder, and stopped mid-action.

The wolves had retreated and the Beast was standing there. For a moment, their eyes locked and the Beast wavered back and forth. Then, the Beast collapsed into the snow with a defeated whimper. Jude gasped, and he turned back around, tightening his hands around the leather of Phillipe's tack. He tensed his muscles to pull himself upward again, but then he let go. The Beast had just saved his life. Why he would, Jude had no idea. Jude knew, though, that he couldn't turn his back on the Beast now. He pulled his foot out from stirrup and let go of the saddle. He led Phillipe over to the unconscious Beast, and he convinced Phillipe to kneel in the snow next to the Beast. Jude looked at the Beast for a moment, immediately focusing on the dark blood that was dripping from the Beast's forearm; one of the wolves had gotten a hold of him. Using all of his strength, Jude rolled the Beast onto Phillipe's saddle. Phillipe didn't like the Beast being so close to him, and his nostrils flared, but Phillipe trusted Jude, and Jude was able to quiet him quickly.

Slowly, Jude and Phillipe walked back to the palace. It was a long, uneventful trudge, and by the time they were in the courtyard, Jude was shivering uncontrollably, as was Phillipe. Stef met him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Master!" she exclaimed. "Jude!"

"We were attacked," Jude said, his teeth chattering. "W-w-wolves."

"Master," she said, shaking his shoulder.

The Beast stirred under her touch.

"He's b-bleeding."

"Let's go inside and get you two cleaned up," she said, coaxing the Beast off Phillipe.

The Beast collapsed against her, not seeming to be coherent. Jude wondered if her metal body would be able to support him, but she seemed to be able to.

"Phillipe," Jude stuttered. "H-have to …"

"I'll come back outside and get him," Stef promised. "But you need to get out of those wet clothes, Jude. Come on, upstairs with you."

Jude followed her into the main part of the castle, but he was too numb to make it very far.

"The great room then," she said. "Jesus! Brandon!"

The two appeared, as if they'd been waiting.

"Jesus, come light a fire in the great room. Brandon, take a trolley upstairs and go and fetch Jude some warm clothes, then go warn Lena that we need hot water and some bandages."

Jude collapsed in front of the newly lit fire, though he turned to the side so that he could watch Stef carefully position the Beast in a large armchair. He looked around, appearing more in control of himself. Brandon's trolley rolled in with fresh clothes and a thick blanket for Jude. Jude's fingers shook as he reached for the clothes, and Stef held the blanket up so that Jude could have some privacy as he dressed in the dry, thick clothing. It wasn't a magic fix, but he felt a lot better. When he had finished dressing, Stef draped the blanket around his shoulder with a maternal air.

Jude went to sit back down in front of the fire, but then the second trolley arrived, balancing bandages and hot water.

"Let me do it," Jude said to Stef. "It'll be easiest for me."

She gladly stepped back, leaving the room entirely so that she could go and tend to Phillipe. Jude knelt in front of the Beast, dipping one of the towels in the hot water.

"Don't … don't do that," he said softly to Beast, who was licking at his wound. He wrung the towel out. "Here."

He touched his fingers to the Beast's elbow and placed the towel to the Beast's wounds, trying to clean them. The Beast roared and pulled his arm away.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't run away," the Beast accused.

"Well, if you hadn't scared me, I wouldn't have run away."

The Beast paused. He blustered for a moment, then, "You should have just listened and stayed out of the West Wing!"

"You should control your temper!" Jude said. He looked at the bloody wounds again, and put his hand back against the Beast's arm. He guided the limb back toward him and the Beast let him. Jude went to put the cloth against the wounds again, but this time hesitated in order to add, "This might sting a little."

The Beast grunted an acknowledgement but when Jude pressed the cloth to the bloody scars, he let out a roar. He reined it into a disgruntled snort and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry," Jude said. He worked silently for a few moments and then he added, "Thank you, by the way … For saving my life."

His apology caught them both off guard.

"Well," the Beast said carefully, "You're welcome."

Jude carefully went back to cleaning the wound. He ran his cloth over the thick, sandy fur until the hair was wet only with water, not blood. Then, he began to wrap it with the bandages and he waited for the Beast to bring up the fact that he had broken his promise, but the Beast didn't. Jude knew, though, that he couldn't run away. Not again. He had traded his life for Callie's and, while he wanted to think better of the Beast for coming to his rescue, Jude didn't know if the Beast had done it because he was altruistic or because he was possessive. He didn't want the Beast to go after Callie if he left or come after him if he left. Jude would wait and see.

"There," he said, securing the last of the white bandages. "You should be all right."

"Oh. Thank you," the Beast said. He looked down at his arm and flexed his paw.

"Does it hurt?" Jude asked.

"I'm tough," the Beast said. "I'll live."

Jude nodded and he stood. It felt rude to just walk away from the Beast, so he said, "It's been a long day. I'm going to go to bed."

"Have a good sleep," the Beast wished him.

"Thank you. You too."

Jude walked up to his bedroom, feeling very strange. It had just been a hard day, he decided. He would feel better come morning.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	6. Chapter 5

Connor slumped on the rail of his balcony, looking down at the scene taking place far below his feet. Jude and Phillipe were taking a stroll around the gardens. The horse didn't seem any worse for wear from yesterday's incident, and Connor was glad. It was clear that Jude cared about his horse. He would pause occasionally to let Phillipe paw through the snow and look for grass and he seemed to be talking to Phillipe as they walked. Connor had listened intently, but even his hearing couldn't pick up on Jude's voice. They were sweet to watch, however, and Connor was more than content, even as he thought that his actions might be a little creepy.

He hadn't had a chance to speak to Jude since Jude had bandaged his arm; he'd only just woken, though it was late morning. He hoped that he would be able to talk to Jude later. He wanted yesterday to be some sort of turning point; he wanted Jude to stay and truly be happy here. He didn't want Jude to run away again. Connor wanted to be good for him, as hopeless as a desire that was.

As he mused, Brandon and Jesus hopped up onto the balcony railing next to him.

"He's wonderful, no?" Jesus prompted.

Connor didn't think of denying it. "He's like no one I've met before." He touched one of his long claws to the bandage around his forearm. "I've never felt like this before."

He glanced over to see Jesus nudging Brandon, and Connor sighed.

"What is it?" Brandon asked.

"I don't know what to do," Connor confessed. "I don't know how to do anything."

"He's a person. It can't be that difficult." Jesus snorted.

"It's been so long since I've been around a person," Connor commented. "And … we all know he's our only chance. I _feel_ something. It could … I could …" He stopped. Jude had said about three nice words to him. It wouldn't help anyone to get ahead of himself now. "I want to do something for him. Something nice."

"Uh …" Brandon floundered. "Chocolate? Flowers?"

"Bigger," Connor said. "Something he'll _really_ like."

"Oh!" Jesus exclaimed. "The Games Room!"

"What?" Connor and Brandon asked him at the same time.

"When we were taking him on the tour," Jesus reminded Brandon. "He showed interest in the Games Room!"

"The Games Room," Connor repeated. "That would be … perfect."

Not only was it something that Jude would like, but it would be something that they could do _together_ , if Jude was willing to spend time with him. Connor had never been great at games and had never liked to play because of that, but he would play for hours if it meant that there was the possibility of Jude smiling at him. He wanted Jude to smile at him. He touched the bandage on his forearm, hearing Jude's soft, hesitant voice as he thanked him yesterday. What Jude didn't realize was that Connor _couldn't_ have let him die; he wasn't as beastly as he looked.

"Let's go look at the Games Room!" Connor announced, sweeping from his balcony.

Brandon and Jesus had no prayer of keeping up as Connor leapt down the stairway and onto the floor that the games room was located on. The hallway was dusty; neither he nor the servants had used these rooms for a very long time. He carefully took the small door handles in his large paws and pushed the lever down, throwing the doors open. The Games Room clearly hadn't been touched since the fateful night of Connor's curse – there were still games set up here and there, waiting for players that would never arrive; there was food bowls sitting about, with nothing but a grim black mold to tell of their former contents; and the whole room had a disgusting, musty smell about it.

Connor walked into the room and over to the windows, throwing them open so that a fresh breeze came through the room. He turned around as Jesus and Brandon hopped through the doorway.

"This place is _gross_ ," Jesus announced.

"We'll get everyone in here to clean at once," Brandon decided.

"No," Connor said. "I want to do it."

"By yourself?" Jesus asked.

"I want to do this for him," Connor said with determination. "I can do it. Brandon, would you send up trolleys with cleaning supplies?"

"Yes, Master," Brandon agreed.

He and Jesus left, and Connor only had to wait a few minutes before the trolleys brought themselves in. Connor attacked the dusting with a vengeance. He couldn't remember the last time he had _cleaned_ anything – if he ever had. As a human, his servants had done it for him. As a beast, it had been easier to let the palace become one of disrepair than to bother doing anything about it. But Connor found that it actually felt good to clean the furniture and clean the game pieces. He went over everything meticulously – he needed it to be _perfect_. He spent most of the day buzzing around the games room and it looked better than he had expected that he could make it. It wasn't _perfect_ yet, and Connor decided that he would return the next day. There were still things that he wanted to do.

He closed the Games Room door behind him and he descended onto the main floor of the kitchen. He'd skipped all of his meals and his stomach was grumbling. On his way to the kitchen, he nearly ran into Jude. Connor skittered backward a few steps, trying not to unnerve Jude. Though, Jude didn't look _scared_ of him like he used to. He didn't look _happy_ to see him, but Connor would take anything over fear.

"Hello," Connor said.

"Hi," Jude answered. "How's your arm feeling?"

"Fine, thank you. You did a good job."

"I couldn't just leave you bleeding."

"Yes, you could've."

Jude's eyes flickered up to meet his own, and Connor was caught in Jude's face. It was such an open, honest face, and Connor felt his heart trip over itself. Jude might have been the first boy that Connor had seen in years, but Connor was absolutely sure that Jude was one of the most beautiful people that Connor had ever seen. His face, while it wasn't something that would have inspired a master painter, was something that Connor couldn't look away from.

"You saved my life," Jude reminded him. "I couldn't have."

Connor had only had the opportunity to save Jude's life because he'd imprisoned it in the first place, but Connor didn't say it aloud. Instead, he asked, "Could we … meet tomorrow?"

"Meet?" Jude repeated. "W-what for?"

"There's some things about the castle that I think you'd like to see. Your tour, um, got cut short, after all."

Jude looked hesitant, and Connor was afraid that Jude would say no. Connor wouldn't blame him for that at all.

"Sure," Jude agreed after a moment. "Um, noon?"

"Yeah," Connor agreed breathlessly. "I'll collect you from your room, then?"

"Sure," Jude repeated. "I guess I'll see you then."

"And you," Connor said.

Jude awkwardly tried to smile at him, and Connor did his best to smile back at him. Jude's expression warmed him from the inside out and, after Jude walked away and up the stairs, Connor couldn't keep the goofy expression off his face. He walked into the kitchens.

"You look happy," Lena commented.

"He _smiled_ at me," Connor admitted. "A little one but he _smiled!_ At _me_!"

"Brandon and Jesus told us what you were doing in the Games Room," Stef said.

"Oh, yeah. I want to make him happy."

"We're proud of you," Lena said. "Especially for doing it on your own. You never would have done that before."

"If I stayed who I've been, he'd … never stop hating me. I have to be better if I want him to like me."

"He will," Stef assured him. "You have to give love time to grow."

"We're running out of time," Connor whispered. It was only ever to Lena and Stef that he would admit this; they were the two that were older than he and both women had more experience than he might ever would.

"Don't give up hope," Lena said. "You can't."

"I'll try." It was all that Connor could do. He stood up away from them. "I have to go back to the Games Room. It needs to be ready for noon tomorrow and I don't know if I have enough time."

"You haven't eaten!" Stef called after him.

"We'll send something up!" Lena added.

Connor bounded back up the staircase. He'd been anticipating on having the day tomorrow to work on it too but when he saw Jude's face, Connor hadn't wanted to let the opportunity slip through his hands. It was a big palace and Jude could avoid him if he wanted to. And, Connor admitted, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that Jude still felt grateful that Connor had saved him. He entered the Games Room again and set back to work. He paused in his work when Lena's tray of food zoomed in, and he shoved most of it in his enormous maw at once. Connor would work all night if he had to.

He had to get it right.

(-.-)

Jude jumped anxiously as there came a knock on his door. The early winter sun was in the right place in the sky; it was noon. That was the Beast knocking on his door. He swallowed the lump in his throat, thinking that, while he was nervous, he didn't feel nearly as nervous as he thought that he should be. He opened the door, and there was the Beast. Jude blinked in surprise – he'd changed. He was still wearing his dark purple cape, but he'd traded his pants for ones a little less ragged and he was wearing a shirt that covered most of his hairy chest.

"Good afternoon," Jude said.

"Good afternoon. Do you still want to take a walk around with me?"

Jude nodded. If he weren't crazy, he'd say that the Beast sounded nervous too. That made no sense. Why would _he_ be nervous?

"Where are we going first?" Jude asked.

"I didn't really have anywhere in mind," the Beast said.

"Oh, all right."

They started down the hallway in silence. Jude tried not to think of his first night here, when he had trailed behind the Beast. Though they were, shockingly, more silent now than they were then, they were walking side by side. Jude was surprised to find that he felt more comfortable in the Beast's presence. He wasn't totally comfortable with him- he doubted that he ever _could_ be – but the Beast had saved him yesterday, for no reason at all. The Beast didn't need a prisoner – it wasn't as if Jude was being kept for ransom or anything – and it would have been easy for the Beast to let him be eaten by wolves or freeze to death in the snow. Jude knew himself well enough to know that something had shifted.

Despite the Beast saying that there was no destination in mind, Jude began to feel as if he was being led somewhere. The Beast pointed out that most of the rooms in the palace were bedrooms and they passed a lot of them. They came to the end of a long hallway, and two large, ornate doors.

"I think you'll like this room," the Beast said, reaching forward and laying one paw on a door handle.

"Okay," Jude said.

"Um, can you close your eyes?"

"Close … Why?"

"It's a surprise!"

Jude blinked at the enthusiasm in the Beast's voice, and then he did as he was asked and closed his eyes. It was slightly unnerving to be standing in front of the Beast and feeling so vulnerable about it. But the Beast wouldn't hurt him. Jude was strangely sure of it. He heard the Beast moving around and the sound of the doors opening. He almost opened his eyes, but the Beast caught the flicker of his eyelids.

"Not yet," the Beast said quickly. "Can I have your hands?"

Jude held them out, and then he felt the Beast's rough paws gently under his hands. The Beast didn't hold onto him tightly, as if he was worried about scaring Jude, but he gently began to tug Jude forward. Jude followed his movements and they crossed into the room. They walked forward a few more steps, and then the beast stopped him.

"One more moment," the Beast said, and Jude nodded.

He heard the Beast bounding away from him. Then, the sound of curtains being drawn. Jude could sense the change in light and he instinctively turned toward it, though he kept his eyelids firmly closed. He heard the heavy movements of the Beast coming back to stand before him.

"Okay!" the Beast announced. "Open!"

Jude's eyes popped open and he stared around the large room with disbelief, trying to comprehend exactly what he was seeing. He was standing in the middle of a circular room lined with shelves; there were two stories within the room alone – there was a long, wooden bannister surrounding the second floor balcony that looked down upon the first floor. Large windows took up most of the outside wall, shedding light on the many tables in the room; every table was surrounded by comfortable chairs. Jude turned in a circle again, looking at what was on the shelves.

"Are they … _games_?" he asked Connor.

"It's our game room. We've games from many places and time periods. I thought you'd like it."

Jude turned in a circle again. "C-can I go look?"

The Beast nodded excitedly. "I fixed it up for you."

"For _me_?" Jude repeated.

"Brandon and Jesus mentioned you'd sounded interested in it and I thought …" he suddenly sounded embarrassed. "I want you to be happy here. And not bored."

"Oh," Jude breathed. "I really don't know what to say."

"Well," the Beast suggested, "you could tell me which one's your favourite."

Jude walked toward the shelf closest to him, running his hands along the intricate boxes. These weren't like the few second hand game pieces that he and Callie had managed to collect over the years. These were exquisite game pieces worthy of grandeur of the rest of the palace. He was almost afraid of touching them.

He looked over his shoulders to face the Beast. "Checkers. My sister and I always loved to play checkers."

"The checkers are on the second level," the beast said. "Should we go up?"

Jude nodded. "Do you know where everything in here is?"

It was such a large room; Jude couldn't imagine knowing it in detail.

"Alphabetical order," the Beast explained. "A is up here on the left and then it goes down to the right."

" _Oh_."

Jude followed him over to one of the shelves, and the Beast pulled out the board, putting everything in Jude's hands. "Checkers."

Jude looked down at the elaborate board and pieces. "I can't … play checkers by myself."

"Anyone would play, but, um, I was hoping you'd like to play a game or two with me."

"Are you any good?" Jude asked, his voice light.

"No, not at any of them," the Beast confessed.

"And you'd want to play anyway?"

"If you wanted me to."

Jude nodded. "Yeah, okay. Um, let's go sit by the windows."

Jude led the Beast over to a medium sized table, right in front of the second floor's balcony. He looked outside over the grounds, expecting to see something like the snowy gardens he and Phillipe had been in yesterday. Instead, he gasped. There was a sheer drop down into a ravine. There was a single, hearty wooden bridge leading from the palace grounds across the ravine. He leant toward the window, but from here, he couldn't see down to the bottom of the ravine.

"It's a little … scary, isn't it?"

Jude nodded.

"Just try to avoid that entrance to the palace," the Beast suggested.

"Wolves or a sheer drop … You know, I think I might just stay inside," Jude mused.

The Beast made no comment, and so Jude set up the board.

"I'm usually the black pieces," he admitted.

"Oh, I don't mind either way," the Beast said.

Jude finished the board. He made the first move. The Beast had to awkwardly clip his claws around the shallow checker pieces and it took him several minutes to actual make a move. After he had completed it, he looked up at Jude, embarrassed. Jude smiled at him, trying to look encouraging. He did feel bad for being able to pick up his pieces and move them around with such ease, but the Beast eventually got a hang of it, and he even got the first king of the game.

"I thought you said you were bad at this!" Jude accused.

"I _was,_ " the Beast promised him. "Did you usually win against your sister?"

Jude's heart ached as he thought of Callie. "Well, no. But I just expected that. Callie was older and smarter so it made sense."

"Your turn," the Beast prompted after a moment.

They were in the final, tense movements of their game when Stef came into the games room, Jesus at her side. The candelabra bouncing about the room, setting the two large fireplaces ablaze.

"It looks wonderful in here," Stef commented.

"Thank you," the Beast grunted.

"King me," Jude told him. "I like it here. It's very homey."

He tucked one leg up under him and leant his head against the tall back of the plush chair. He'd never lived in a home such as this, but there was something comforting about the room with its dark wood paneling and thick carpets. The feeling was particularly strong now that the fires were going.

"Lena was worried that no one has eaten yet, so we were sent to find you," Jesus revealed. He hopped up on the table, looking down at the checker board. "Master, I think he has you beat."

"It's not over yet," the Beast replied.

"It's _almost_ over," Jude told Jesus.

"We'll send some food up," Stef told them.

"Oh no, that's too much trouble," Jude said quickly. "We can come down."

"And ruin your game? It's no trouble at all, love."

Jude felt his heart stop at the affection in her tone and at the pet name. Could she … could she really care? She was a servant but he wasn't her master. He might actually matter to her. The feeling was strange and disconcerting. He didn't remember a time when anyone other than Callie cared about him, and Stef always had a maternal air about her. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about it.

"Thank you," Jude replied.

"Anything in particular you feel like?" Stef asked.

"Anything is great," Jude said. "Everything is always so wonderful."

"We'll surprise you with something _not_ wonderful," Jesus assured him.

" _Jesus_ ," the Beast reprimanded.

"Okay, okay, so you haven't found a sense of humour yet." Jesus jumped off the table. "Good luck, Jude."

"I don't need luck," Jude said. "He's only got one piece left."

"What? When did that happen?"

"Your move," Jude said, leaning one elbow onto the table and propping his head up.

"What's the point?" the Beast asked, sounding sulky. "You've already won."

"It's all for fun," Jude said. "It's just one game."

"You've got to give me another opportunity to beat you," the Beast said, sliding his single checker forward.

"Oh, sure, if you think you can win."

The Beast didn't look quite as sulky, even as Jude hopped over his last piece and collected it with ease.

"Round two?"

"Round two," the Beast repeated.

Jude set up the board again. They were only a few moves in when lunch arrived. There was a collection of small sandwiches set up along the tray – a different kind for each of the four plates. Jude picked up one of the one closest to him and took a bite of it, maneuvering one of his checker pieces. He looked up to see the Beast messily toss two sandwiches into his mouth and clamp his jaw shut around them. He chewed with his mouth open as he picked up his checker piece between his claws and jumped over one of Jude's pieces. The Beast looked up at him as Jude pointedly took a single bite off his one sandwich and closed his mouth as he chewed.

"Oh. Um. Sorry," the Beast grunted. He closed his mouth and swallowed the rest of his sandwich.

"You've another jump," Jude pointed out, staring down at the checker board.

The Beast was acting like a person today. A human; not an angry animal that was hiding away from the world. Jude didn't know how to react to that, and so he continued to just play checkers with the Beast. They played three whole games. The Beast had managed to beat him the second time around and they had played a tie breaker, which Jude had taken. By then, the sun was beginning to set and Jude had begun to think about supper. He and the Beast carefully packed up the checker board and the Beast put it back in its place. They walked together out of the Games Room, and Jude paused in the hallway so the Beast could close the doors.

"Do you think we could play something else tomorrow?" Jude asked while the Beast had his back to him. It was easier that way.

"If you want," the Beast said. He turned to face Jude to say, "I'd like that."

"Thank you, Beast," Jude said. "This was … good. I liked spending time with you today."

It was so strange to say, but he _had_. He and the Beast hadn't really talked much about anything, but he hadn't hated sitting there with him and spending time with him like Jude had expected.

He thought he heard the Beast mumble something under his breath, but when Jude glanced at him questioningly, the Beast straightened up and said, "Would you please join me for dinner tonight?"

Jude nodded. "Yes, I would like that."

They went downstairs and sat together at the long dining table together. They each sat at the head of the table and Jude felt as if he were a ridiculous distance away from the Beast. It was particularly strange as they had spent most of the afternoon together at a much smaller table. If Jude had wanted to, he could have reached out and touched the Beast then. He'd made sure to _not_ do such a thing, as he was sure that the both of them would have been uncomfortable with it, but the point stood that Jude _could_ have. From here, he was hardly able to make out the bone white fangs that stuck out from his lower jaw and over his upper one.

Trolleys bustled in and they were heavy with a hearty soup. Jude picked up his spoon without saying a word to the Beast. He felt far too awkward trying to say anything from this distance. He lowered his large soup spoon into the broth, collecting pieces of chicken and vegetables onto his spoon. Every meal here was an experience. He didn't know how the vegetables were this fresh or how they made these flavours. Jude had never eaten so well and he wished that Callie could have this. He hoped that she had found work somewhere and wasn't skimping on her meals as the two of them usually did in the winter as there was typically less food in the house. He looked out the grand windows, seeing nothing but darkness and the occasional snow flake. He wondered what Callie was doing now.

He was distracted by a strange gulping sound, and he looked down the table, frankly startledby the noise. There was the Beast, tonguing at the bowl awkwardly, his spoon still perfectly positioned at his place setting. Jude had no idea what to do or say. How long had it been since the Beast had been around a bowl?

He cleared his throat awkwardly and the Beast looked up. Jude pointedly dabbed at his face with his napkin and the Beast followed suit, clearing his light coloured fur. Jude lifted his spoon and watched with sympathy as the Beast had to grapple with his cutlery, trying to get the spoon to sit comfortably in his large paw. The metal clicked against his thick claws. The Beast was able to shovel the spoon into the broth, but he wasn't able to get much on it, even as he tried to awkwardly dribble it into his mouth.

"Um," Jude murmured to himself, trying to think it through.

He seized the bowl in his hands. He watched the Beast's face brighten as he realized what Jude was offering and they both contentedly sipped at their soup.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	7. Chapter 6

The next day, Connor woke with a strange feeling in his chest. The small part of his brain that knew what that feeling was whispered _'hope_ '. Connor ignored it, though he bounded out of his broken down bed and donned cleaner clothes than the ones that he had worn over the past several years. These pants weren't ripped and ragged and he put on a clean shirt. It was strange, wearing shirts again, but he wanted Jude to see him as a person, not as an animal. Animals didn't wear shirts but people did. He clasped his familiar purple cape around himself, as being without the weight had become uncomfortable after so many years of wearing the garment daily. Then, he checked his face in the shattered mirror. Very few shards still clung to the mirror's backing and, as always, Connor was ashamed with what stared back at him. There could be nothing done about his appearance – about the eyebrows that made him look perpetually angry or the animal ears that existed beneath his large horns. He was more of an animal than a human. He knew that. But, maybe, just maybe, that could change. Maybe he could be a person again.

He went downstairs to breakfast, hoping to meet Jude there. He was disappointed to find that there were dishes being cleaned in the kitchen.

"Jude's already been here?" he asked.

Jesus nodded. "He was off to see his horse again."

"You could join him," Lena said. "I'm sure he'd like to see you."

Jesus rolled his eyes. "Mom, tell the Master what Jude really said."

Connor's interest piqued and he felt his ears perk upward. "What did he really say?"

"He's _hoping_ to see you," Jesus said smugly.

Connor didn't know whether or not he could fully trust Jesus. Jesus was too hopeful and too confident about the whole thing, so he turned his eyes on Lena. As optimistic as she was, she would also be realistic about it with him.

"He _did_ say that he was specifically hoping to meet you in the Games Room later," Lena admitted. "Though I can't imagine he'd be upset about running into you earlier than that."

Connor turned to head back out the door.

"At least eat something!" Lena called after him, but Connor didn't turn around again.

He went out into the back courtyard of the palace. Come spring and summer, this area would become a garden, the likes of which had barely been rivaled. Now, the area was covered in a fairly thick blanket of snow. Connor watched Jude walk his horse. With every step, Jude sunk so that the snow was halfway up his shins. The horse followed Jude obediently, though Jude had a very loose hand on his reins. Connor thought that the animal was walking a little unevenly. Jude was chattering to the horse again and, from this vantage point, Connor could almost make out the words. He paused, knowing that he either had to make his presence known or flee back inside. It would be wrong to eavesdrop on Jude.

The decision was made for him when Jude turned his head and caught sight of Connor. There was a small bit of a smile on Jude's face and he called out.

"Good morning, Beast!"

Connor lifted a heavy hand in response, though his heart sunk. _Beast._ It had never occurred to Jude that he was anything but. It had never occurred to Jude that Connor might have a name at all.

Jude led the horse closer to Connor and Connor walked out to meet them.

"Good morning, Jude."

"This is Phillipe," Jude said. "He's how I carried you back."

Connor held out his hand, though he wasn't surprised when Phillipe pinned his ears against his head and took a step backward, swishing his tail angrily. Animals had hardly liked him before, but they definitely didn't like him now.

"Hey, now," Jude lectured the horse.

"It's fine. Animals tend to do that."

"Oh." Jude pinned his lips together. "I wasn't going to keep him out long. He injured himself when we were running from the wolves but a little bit of exercise is good for him."

"I won't keep you."

"Oh!"

Connor had been going to turn away, but he faced Jude at the exclamation.

"I thought we might … try a new game today. I liked … yesterday."

Though Jude's face had been red from the cool wind, Connor could still tell when he blushed at the admission. For once, Connor was glad for his fur. It wouldn't give away his rapidly beating heart or the heat that he felt rising within him.

"I didn't think you'd want to play so early."

"I do if you do." Jude turned his head against his horse's cheek for a moment and then he peeked at Connor expectantly.

"All right," Connor said, trying to squash his excitement. "Um, I'll meet you in the Games Room after you put your horse away."

Jude nodded his agreement. It took all of Connor's will not to bound back inside, trembling with excitement. He kept himself composed until he was sure that he was out of Jude's line of sight, and then he scrambled back into the kitchen. Stef had appeared there now, and she put a plate of food in his hands as he entered.

Connor knew that he should be thinking about his table manners, particularly where he'd been disgusting _twice_ yesterday in front of Jude, but the thought didn't occur to him. He one-handedly shoved his breakfast into his mouth while excitedly telling Lena about how Jude and he were going to spend the day together again.

"I have to go meet him." He tossed the plate in the direction of the grand sink. One of the scrubbing sponges leapt out of the soapy water and caught the dish, submerging it for him.

"Good luck. We'll send up lunch," Lena called.

Connor swept from the kitchen and he would have bounded away had he not heard Stef speak. He paused, letting his acute hearing bring him her words.

"Oh, first love." She laughed, and it echoed around her hollow body. Connor heard creaking as she moved. "To feel that way again."

Lena's returning laugh was more amused. "I rather like the second love."

"Me too."

Stef's and Lena's tones became affectionate in a way that Connor wasn't used to hearing and he took off running again, although his mind flitted about. He'd never thought about Stef and Lena about people who could be in love. Although he hadn't been quite so young when he had transformed into a beast, he'd been a sheltered sort of young. He'd been aware that Stef had a husband, a man named Mike, who was Brandon's biological father. Mike had been the head of his father's guard and Adam had seemed saddened when the man had passed away when Connor was only about six years old. Now that none of them were human, Connor hadn't really thought about the logistics of being in love like this – though, really, he should have, as it was what the curse hinged on. Of course, Stef and Lena could have been in love for a very long time. As selfish as Connor was, he never would have noticed.

It would go a long way in explaining their compassion for a prince who had no yearning for a princess.

Connor opened the doors to the Games Room. He had beaten Jude here, although that didn't particularly shock him. Jude was probably still with his horse. He set about the room, lighting the fireplaces and opening the curtains to let the faint sunshine through. He thought about setting up the checker board, and then he remembered yesterday, when Jude had mentioned playing a different games. There were at least a hundred other games that Jude would want to try to play. Connor had no way of knowing what Jude would want to play today and he wasn't presumptuous enough to think that Jude would be all right with playing something that Connor set up. Besides, Connor wanted Jude to pick; he wanted to play what Jude wanted to. This was Jude's room now.

He settled himself into one of the plush armchairs, but he promptly found himself back on his feet when Jude walked in just seconds after. Jude hugged his hands to his chest.

"Do you mind if I close the doors?" he called up from the first floor. "I want it to get as warm as possible in here."

"I don't mind." He was pleased Jude trusted him enough to close the doors when they were alone in here together. Connor jumped down over the balcony and landed on the first floor.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Jude asked.

"No. I don't feel it. I've jumped from higher."

"That's actually kind of interesting. I mean, I can see how it would be useful."

"For running up and down the palace, maybe. It's not highly effective when it comes to fighting wolves, though."

Jude looked embarrassed as he shut the doors to the Games Room. He turned back around to face Connor.

"I'm sorry for getting you hurt. How's your arm feel?'

"It's fine. It could have been worse. You could have left me there."

Jude just shook his head.

"What were you thinking of playing today?" Connor asked.

"Let's get something from the A's," Jude suggested. "I thought we might just go in alphabetical order … For however long we want to keep playing."

"It sounds like a plan to me."

They ascended the stairs together.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather climb?"

"I'd rather walk with you," Connor answered. "I'm only sort of an animal."

"Sort of," Jude repeated softly to himself.

He didn't say anything more on the matter and Connor didn't want to push. Jude seemed happy to be in his presence and he didn't want to ruin that.

Jude went over to the A's, studying the tall wall in front of him. He had to grab a ladder and he scaled all the way to the top. Connor stood at the bottom and watched him go.

"Abalone," Jude read. "Have you ever played that one?"

"I have no idea," Connor replied honestly.

Jude grabbed one of the ornate wooden boxes and tucked it under his arm. He made his way down the ladder haphazardly and Connor felt his heart lurch just watching Jude move around. He scarcely remembered what it was like to be a human boy and he didn't know how Jude's feet knew where to land or how his hands caught him. It didn't seem possible to Connor that Jude would be okay, not having animal instincts. But Jude made it down to the ground safely and presented the box to Connor.

"Abalone," Connor said, staring at the top of the box. He knew that's what was inscribed there.

"Let's sit by the windows again."

Connor was happy to follow Jude as Jude took his seat in front of the balcony. There wasn't much of a view this time of year – the thick rails were coated with snow and the snow blocked them from seeing the wintry grounds. Jude opened the box and put the board down on the table.

"No," Connor said, trying to see if the board triggered any memories. "I don't think I have played this one."

Jude was skimming the rule sheet kept with the game.

"I have!" he announced. "I never knew the name of it, though. Callie learnt how to play it at one of the places she worked at and she managed to get her hands on a set. We didn't play it all that often."

"Another one you're good at?"

"Mmm," Jude mused. The board he set up was hexagonal and he began dropping game pieces on it – black and white balls. "Well, let's just say I generally have better luck with abalone than I do with checkers."

"Lucky me."

Jude smirked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. You can ask me whatever you want."

Jude's smirk relaxed and he turned more thoughtful at the words. "Where did all of these games come from?"

"Well, before me, very different people lived here."

"Royalty?" Jude guessed.

"Exactly. A king who travelled to foreign lands and who had people who travelled from foreign lands to see him. When the castle was vacated for … whatever reason, everything was left behind. I kept it. Why not?" Connor carefully maneuvered around the truth, although he felt guilty for lying to Jude. He knew he couldn't tell him the truth. If Jude knew the truth, he sensed, then the curse wouldn't play out as it should. Jude had to fall in love because Jude truly loved him, not because Jude felt obligated to return everyone in the palace to their human form.

"Everyone just abandoned a palace? That seems strange."

"It does, doesn't it?"

Jude moved one of his pieces across the board. Connor studied it for a moment, decided that he was going to lose this game in the end anyway, and bumped one of the little white balls forward. It clicked loudly against his claws, but he was easily able to flick these pieces with his claws and he found that he liked it.

"So why move in here?"

"Why live anywhere else?" Connor countered.

"Callie always wanted to live somewhere else," Jude confided in him. "The town close to here is the one we've been in most of our lives. Callie always liked the thought of moving to a city."

"What about you?"

"I didn't really care. I mean, seeing a new place is always exciting. And life in the village is hard. I've always wanted my life to be different than it was there. But it was being with Callie that was important to me. She's my sister and she's been my only constant my entire life."

"You love her," Connor observed.

"Of course I do," Jude said. "Don't you have any family?"

Connor hesitated and then he shook his head. His mother had been gone since his birth; his father had been gone for long enough that he hardly seemed to matter anymore.

"No one you love?" Jude pressed. "What about Stef or Lena? They seem to care a lot about you."

"I care a lot about them," Connor replied. "Love is something else entirely."

"You've never loved anyone at all?" Jude sounded skeptical and Connor really couldn't blame him.

Connor chose complete honesty for his answer. "I don't think I'd know love if I felt it."

"It's tricky that way," Jude agreed, bumping one of Connor's game pieces off the board. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Anything."

"Are there … more like you? Or are you it?"

Connor let out an awkward laugh. He really hadn't expected the question. "I'm it … I hope."

"You hope?"

"I'm a monster," Connor said, not believing that he'd actually let the words slip out. "It wouldn't be fair for there to be more than one of me."

"I wouldn't call you a monster," Jude said. "A loser, maybe."

Connor shook his massive head at the board. "Fair's fair."

"One more then see if we have to move onto a tie breaker?" Jude suggested.

"You're on."

Over the course of the next game, which Jude won, Connor asked him a few questions about Jude's life and he answered every one of them, though he seemed reluctant to dwell on questions about Callie. He talked about he barely remembered life with his biological parents, as they had died when he was so young. He mentioned a few, bad orphanages and that when he was seven years old, he and Callie had run away from them. He mentioned, in a quiet voice, that they had been hungry a lot before they had found a farmer's wife that had taken pity on them. Callie had worked in the house as a servant and Jude had helped the farmer to the best of his youthful ability. Connor took it all in without saying much. He couldn't identify with this kind of life at all. His plush, entitled upbringing kept him from relating.

"You don't talk about yourself a lot," Jude observed. With no need for a tie breaker, he was packing up the game.

"I don't have a lot to say." There wasn't much that Connor _could_ say. He couldn't admit to his true past – it wouldn't make sense for the beast he was now to have grown up as a prince. He hoped that it wouldn't work against him, in terms of Jude falling in love; if there was even the remote possibility that Jude could fall in love with him. He could find other things to talk about. He even thought they'd been doing okay so far.

Jude looked down to the table top. "I'm not used to feeling like I'm doing all the talking."

"I'm not used to talk to people that aren't the servants."

"They're people too." Jude shut the lid on the box.

Connor lifted his head, studying the boy in front of him. _People_. Did he truly see the servants, in all of their varying forms, as _people_? "Do you mean that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Jude didn't seem to realize the importance of what he'd said. How could he? "You know, I'm feeling a little restless. If I put this away, could we … maybe go for a walk around the castle?"

"I'd like that."

Jude scrambled back up the ladder and put the box back in its designated place. They left the Games Room behind and set about wandering the castle.

"It's a pretty place," Jude decided. "Even if it's a little scary."

Connor couldn't tell Jude that it hadn't been scary until the curse. The dark stone walls had once been a glorious, light shade; the threatening gargoyles had once been angels. Everything dismal about the castle had once been beautiful. He'd never appreciated it, then, but when he compared the dirty castle he roamed in now to the one that he had played in as a boy, there was a world of difference.

"So, this is the library," Connor said, opening the door. "I don't know if you've been in here yet."

"I'm not known for being a reader," Jude said. "Callie made sure I was taught but I'm not very good at it."

Connor had, of course, been taught to read. He'd been a pupil to some of the greatest tutors in the country. His father had needed to make sure that he was able to take over as king someday. But, now, Connor couldn't even make out a single letter. He'd let the mind of the beast rule his world for so long that the mind of a person was struggling to survive.

Jude stepped inside the library and looked around. Like when he stepped into the Game Room, he seemed in awe of the size of it.

"So many books," he murmured. "I may have to take up reading."

"Let me know if you read anything good."

"Of course," Jude said, as if Connor shouldn't have had to request it. Jude reached over and ran a finger across a dusty table top. "You don't use many rooms, do you?"

"…No," Connor admitted.

"How did you keep from getting bored?"

"A lot of sulking."

Jude laughed and they left the library, continuing down to the lower floor. Connor pointed out the ballroom and a closer back exit to the stables when they passed them.

"It seems like such a convoluted place," Jude observed.

"You get used to it, I guess," Connor said. "Just don't try to use the servants' routes without a servant. They're old and complicated and I don't really know when the last time they were used were."

"Duly noted," Jude said. "And I … I'll stay out of the West Wing."

"Thank you."

"It's your space. I shouldn't have let my curiousity get in the way."

"I … may have overreacted."

"Mmm." Jude paused in front of his room. He leant against the wall and stared upward toward Connor. "What's with the flower?"

Connor's brain stalled out. He didn't have a good lie for that. "Uh. What flower?"

He was such an idiot.

"The rose. In the West Wing."

"It's personal. It's the only personal thing I have and I'd appreciate if we forgot the rose existed."

Connor had no idea what Jude would say.

"All right. I can respect that." Jude bit down on his lip. "But … I just want you to know that I'm curious."

"There are better stories in the library," Connor said firmly.

"Maybe … Maybe we could check that out tomorrow. Maybe read something?" Jude's gaze flickered down, and Connor's breath nearly caught. "Or games. Or … this place is strange, you know?"

"I have an idea …" Connor mused. "It can be a scary place."

Jude hesitated, and then he forged on ahead. "Were you ever scared here?"

Connor liked that about Jude; how he said what he was thinking and didn't back down from that. It meant that Jude wouldn't lie to him. It meant that, even if Jude figured out the curse and decided he was going to break it, he wouldn't tell Connor he loved him in a vain attempt to do that. If Jude said he loved him, he would mean it.

"Yes," Connor finally answered.

He was terrified in this very moment, because he was thinking about love and its implications with Jude standing in front of him. Connor knew that, even if he weren't a beast with a curse, if he had ever met Jude, he would have felt the same stirrings and strange feelings that he was getting now. Connor liked Jude in a way that he had never liked anyone before.

"What would you have to be afraid of?" Jude asked.

"You mean, what's out there that would scare a beast?"

"I didn't say that."

"Was it what you meant?"

"Yes and no."

Connor crossed his arms over his chest.

"I mean, I really don't see what's out there that could scare you physically –"

"A pack of wolves got the better of me."

Jude's face went stony. "You know what, forget it. If you're just going to keep bringing that up … I guess I shouldn't have even tried to move past it."

"Jude, wait –"

But Jude wasn't going to wait. He was inside of his room in a flash, letting the heavy door fall shut behind him. Connor resisted the urge to pound on the door to demand another audience and a fuller explanation. His hands still clenched into fists and a low growl escaped him. Then, Connor did something he hadn't even done before. He let it go, for now. He walked away and decided not to push Jude. It wasn't as if Jude could avoid him forever – Jude was his prisoner, after all. But Connor could now recognize that Jude might need space.

He thought Lena might be proud of him for that.

Connor decided to find her and fight out if he was right. Even if he were wrong, she'd put him on the right path. He found her in the library, propped up against one of Stef's arms, a book open in front of them. Every so often, Lena would whisper something, and Stef would flip the page, as it was something that Lena could no longer do on her own.

Connor entered the room and dropped down to all fours, settling himself in front of the fireplace. He turned his head and watched the flames flicker.

"Something on your mind?"

Connor's ears flicked. Sometimes, when Stef raised her voice even the tiniest bit, it made his ears hurt. There was just something about the way her voice rang inside of the suit of armour.

"Yes." He sunk down against the floor, not looking at either of them. He explained what had occurred with Jude, and then he anxiously turned to look at the closest thing he had to parents. Growing up, Lena had always felt more like a mother than his dead mother or the plethora of nannies that his father had for him. "Was I wrong?"

"About what part?" Lena asked.

"Space. Leaving him. I wasn't going to. I was going to make him talk to me. Then I thought that might go worse."

"I think you made the right decision. Giving him time to sit down was good."

"I wasn't trying to be antagonistic about the wolves," Connor said anxiously. "I … I thought … I mean, I didn't want Jude to think I was invincible or something. That I was … some kind of beast that could get away with that. I mean, he already asked if there was more like me! I don't know what he thinks of me. Of what I am." He lowered his gaze to the floor and huffed. "I don't think I want to know."

"Have some faith!" Lena said brightly. "He might be thinking good things."

Connor huffed again. "About you, maybe. He likes you guys."

"You weren't exactly the friendliest face when he got here," Stef said. "Try and see things from his perspective. I doubt the way he sees you now is the way he saw you when he first arrived and I think things will evolve further."

Connor turned his head and stared into the flames. Like a child, he wanted to whimper and ask _'what if it doesn't?'_. If it didn't, they would all live like this forever. It would be his fault. Because he was unlovable. He was scary. And, he was just a terrible person. It had gotten him into this predicament in the first place. But he had to try. He and his servants had one chance and if they lost it, then he could be miserable and terrible in the coming years. Now, he could become a person who was worthy of true love. Perhaps even worthy of Jude's love; Connor couldn't deny that he wanted Jude, specifically, to love him. It was a hard thing to think about and consider. For so long, he had only thought about love in terms of the curse. He _had_ to fall in love; it was the means to becoming human again and becoming human again was all that truly mattered.

But now Connor was faced with someone that he already had feelings for and who he could see himself falling in love with. Jude was … curious and spirited and moral and strong and a little hot-headed and Connor _liked_ it. Connor liked the way the light hit Jude's brown eyes and he liked how Jude was a graceful winner when they played games. He liked how he just wanted to sit and _be_ with Jude. He'd never had that sensation before; the idea that all he needed was another person's presence. They didn't need to do anything; they could sit and their corners and do separate things.

"It's so fast," Connor whispered.

"We don't have time for slow," Stef mused. "And love moves at its own pace, no matter the situation."

"Just remember your feelings are not his feelings."

"That's always been the problem," Connor said. "I think I need to be alone."

Slowly, he stood from the floor and headed for the palace roof, with the intention to slink by Jude's room on the way.

Just in case.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

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 **~TLL~**


	8. Chapter 7

"I'm overreacting. You can tell me if I am."

Jude pressed his feet flat against the stone wall of the palace. He was lying across the bed horizontally, his head hanging over the edge so that when he looked at Mariana, she was nearly upside down. It was fun; he'd never had a bed high enough that he could hang off it before.

"I'm biased," she told him.

"Because he's your master and you have to agree with him?"

"Something like that." Her lips twitched.

"Or is everyone in the castle in on some conspiracy I'm being left out of."

"You're smart, Jude."

He tapped his foot against the wall.

"I feel bad. Not about running away, I think I was justified in that. I just don't like the thought of anyone getting hurt. Especially if it was because of something I did. Then again, he didn't have to come save me!"

"You'd definitely be dead."

"Which is why I'm so grateful. I don't want to be dead. I feel really bad about it. I don't want the Beast to feel bad about it too. He's, uh, not really the type of person I want to have a grudge against me." Jude let out a faint chuckle, but Mariana didn't laugh, and he let it die. He knew it hadn't been that funny.

"It seems to me that you should talk to him about it, not me. I can only say so much and so can you. If you don't want the Master to be bothered by it, then make sure he isn't." Mariana paused. "Or shut up about it. You have two options. Deal with it, or hide away."

"I don't want to hide." Jude sat up. "I guess I try and find him … Unless he's in the West Wing."

"I think you could try knocking politely," Mariana said. "He might even let you in there."

"Does he let you?"

"I can't really fit out the door," Mariana said. "I've gotten fat."

"Oops," Jude chuckled. "I didn't think about it."

"Well, that makes me feel better," she said dryly. "If you find Lena, I'll bet you find the Master. If he's not sulking by himself, he's sulking to her. And she's usually in the kitchens or the library."

"Thanks, Mariana."

"It's what I'm here for. And to tell you that we had some clothes come back from the seamstresses and so I now have pants in my drawers that will fit you, so we don't have to stare at your awkward ankles the whole time."

Jude laughed. "Do you mind letting me have a pair now? My awkward ankles are cold."

"Deal."

The two doors on the front part of the wardrobe flew open, and the one of the drawers snapped open. Jude let her reach into the chest of drawers with the two, long metal handles that she could unfurl and use for arms. He knew he could reach in and grab himself, but in his head, he equated it to grabbing the intestines out of a person, and that made his stomach lurch. She pulled out a pair of light coloured trousers, and held them out to him, the drawers and doors snapping shut.

Jude took the pants from her, and then he watched her eyes close. He thought it had to be awkward for her as well as him, and he trusted her not to peek as he quickly redressed.

"How do they fit?"

"A lot better. Who should I thank?"

"I'll pass it along," Mariana said carefully.

"I can't meet them?"

"I don't recommend it. Maybe someday I'll tell you why."

"So many secrets." Jude shrugged. "Do I ever get to know?"

"Maybe someday. But not from me. Now, go. The more you wait, the harder it'll be."

"It's been all of half an hour. Maybe an hour. The world isn't going to change that quickly."

"The whole world can change in a single second."

Jude blinked; she sounded so _old_. There was something bitter and tragic in her voice; it made his heart ache. He cleared his throat. "So, um, I guess I'll go look for him now."

"Good luck! Oh, and if you happen to see Jesus, can you send him in?"

"Will do," Jude agreed, and then he yanked his door open. He heard a strange sound as he did so, and quickly stuck his head out into the hallway.

The Beast was bounding down the hall; the sound must have been his claws on the stone floor.

"Wait!" Jude called, trying to take off after him, even though he knew it was fruitless. The fastest human on earth was no match for the Beast, even limited as he was by the palace. "Please, wait, I just want to talk to you!"

The Beast whirled around at the end of the hallway, and Jude froze when the Beast pinned his eyes on him. He took a few stuttering steps forward.

"Can we talk?" Jude asked. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

The Beast didn't say anything, but he relaxed, and Jude kept walking closer until he was at a normal distance. He leant against the stone wall, and then he sunk down further, resting his arms on his bent knees.

"What I was trying to say was that, yeah, you look scary face-to-face and you look like nothing could scare you because of that. When I sit here and talk to you, though, you just seem like a regular person. So, of course you get scared sometimes." Jude rested the back of his head and looked to the Beast. "What do you think?"

"I wasn't trying to be bitter about the wolves. I really don't hold it against you."

"Thank you, Beast."

Jude knew he'd said the wrong thing. Immediately, the Beast stiffened up again, letting out an angry snort.

"What?" Jude asked, scrambling to his feet. "What?"

"You say I seem human, and then you call me Beast. Like you never even considered I had a name. That I'm more than _this_."

"Wait!"

The Beast was running away from him again. Jude pushed himself to his feet and started running, pushing himself. He'd never been in this part of the palace before. Usually, when he was wandering around, he headed in the opposite direction. This part of the palace was still dusty, covered in grime and cobwebs. It made it easy for him to follow the Beast's trail into a separate room. It was much smaller than his, though it was obviously made to house someone of a high status rather than a servant. The doors to the balcony were open, and Jude stepped out onto it. There was snow covering the balcony, and there were the Beast's footprints in it, but Jude couldn't figure out where he went. He leant over the railing, already beginning to shiver. He wasn't dressed for this. When he looked down, there was no sign that the Beast had jumped off the railing to the ground below – the snow was completely undisturbed. Jude looked up and caught sight of the Beast's cloak as he climbed up the roof.

Jude watched him, and then he rubbed his hands together, trying to get some blood flowing in them before he attempted to climb. It was going to be cold, but he couldn't leave things like this. He'd been rude. And the Beast was right. Jude had never considered that he had a name. The Beast was slowly becoming less of a monster in his eyes – Jude knew there was more to him than that – but he'd never thought about how much more. He should have.

Jude balanced himself on the rail of the balcony, thinking all the while to not look down. It was a drop that would likely kill him or, if it didn't, leave him wishing he were dead. It took most of his strength to even pull himself up onto the roof. Years of farm labour had left him with the ability, but Jude's agility just wasn't there, and he almost teetered back onto the balcony. He managed to get himself situated on top of the slippery snow, and he stared up the roof. Had it looked so steep when he was standing on the balcony? Jude forged on. He was about halfway up the roof when he thought about ice, and he immediately wished he hadn't. The thought that there was ice under the snow, clinging to the old shingles made him hesitate, and that made him look over his shoulder.

Jude had never thought he had a fear of heights. Then again, Jude had never been quite so far up before. He was frozen and shaking on the rooftop, and he almost gave up. He couldn't make it to the top – he was still so far away. And he didn't even know if the Beast was still up here. The castle was huge. The roof of the castle had to be huge too. Jude made himself look upward again. He had hurt someone; he had to fix it. He took another step, digging his toes in and driving his body upward. He made it to the crest of the roof, and he felt like he could no longer breathe. He was so cold that it felt like a band around his chest and he was so high up it was making him feel dizzy. He threw one leg over the peak of the roof so that he was straddling it. The snow bit into the inside of his thighs and he tried not to shiver, though he failed miserably.

"Jude? You shouldn't be up here!"

Jude didn't even have enough strength to jump at the Beast's unexpected voice.

"I-I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-or-r-r-ry." Had his teeth ever chattered like this?

"Jude, you're freezing." The Beast crept slowly toward him. "What are you doing up here?"

"N-n-n-need-d-d t-t-tal-k y-y-ou."

"We can do that downstairs, come on."

"No!"

The Beast reached up and unfastened his cloak. He offered it to Jude. "At least take this. I don't get cold."

Jude took it gratefully, wrapping it around his body. It was a huge cloak, one fit for a beast, and he easily draped it across himself in full. He was able to make himself a hood out of it and pull his hands inside the middle of it, feeling the Beast's considerable body heat still radiating from it.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"W-w-w-what-t's y-y-y-y-your n-n-n-name?"

The Beast's eyes hardened for a moment, then he shook his head. "Beast. You said it."

"I w-w-was-s w-w-wron-g-g. You …" he gasped. "I s-s-s-sorry."

"My name is Connor."

"C-C-C-C-C-Con-n-n-nor." Jude poked one hand outside of the cloak, his hand shaking so badly that he wasn't sure he'd be able to shake Connor's. "N-n-n-nice t-t-to m-m-meet-t-t y-y-ou."

Connor took Jude's hand, and Jude felt incredibly small. But the fur of Connor's hand was softer than he'd expected, though he had rough pads on his palm area that were incredibly coarse. Connor's long claws touched Jude's skin, and Jude could see how easily those claws could rip through him if Connor took a mind to. But he didn't believe that Connor would.

"Let's get inside, okay? It's cold."

Jude nodded.

"Let me help."

"I c-c-can d-d-do it."

"Be careful!"

Jude swung his leg over the top of the roof and slid downward. It was a lot easier getting back to the balcony, and when he reached the edge of the roof, he adjusted the cloak, and jumped onto the balcony. Pain shot through his frozen feet; he thought his toes were going to crack and fall off. But he landed safely. He looked up, at the Beast, no, _Connor_ was safely perched above him, looking for all the world like the chilly wind and soft snow flakes didn't affect him at all.

"I'm –" Jude meant to say 'okay', he really did, but it wasn't what popped out, "– cold."

"Let's go in," Connor proposed.

Jude stumbled into the room, though it was cold too. He'd forgotten to close the balcony door behind him, and he just kept on shivering.

Connor swung into the room, and Jude was glad to know his name now. Connor shut the balcony door.

"Do you think the kitchen has something warm to drink?" Jude asked.

"I think so. If not, I'll say so and they will."

Jude laughed, and then he hugged the cloak a little closer to himself. "Can I keep this? Just for a few more minutes."

"Sure. I think you need it more."

"Thank you … Connor."

Connor's mouth opened and his lips twisted; it took Jude a moment to realize that he was smiling. Connor was smiling at him. And Jude liked that he was.

"Let's go sit in the library," Connor proposed. "I know Stef and Lena had a fire already going in there."

Jude nodded. The slow process of warming up was painful and he stumbled out the door after Connor. He had to lift the cloak up high to avoid stepping on it, and it made him realize just how tall the Beast ( _Connor_ , he corrected himself) … how tall _Connor_ was. Jude shivered and he tripped. His toes were so numb that he couldn't keep himself upright. He tried to grab onto Connor's shirt sleeve, but his hand got tangled in the cloak and Jude didn't think that his fingers would move properly anyway. He ended up landing heavily on his knees, being glad that the dirty carpet was still plush enough that he was protected from most of the fall.

"Oh, are you okay!?"

"N-n-n-umb," Jude managed, wondering exactly when his teeth had started chattering.

Connor stood over him, and then he crouched slightly, offering Jude his paw. Jude hesitated, staring at the dark claws and the coarse fur. Then he looked up into those bright eyes that were becoming so familiar and he thought _Connor_ instead of Beast, and so he poked one hand out of the cloak carefully and placed it against the rough pad of Connor's paw. Connor hesitantly helped Jude to his feet.

"Are you going to make it?" Connor asked, and the concern in his voice made Jude's heart skip a beat. Never had he thought he could accuse the Beast of caring about him.

Jude tried to shrug; tried to think about saying something. But he had his back teeth ground together to avoid having them shake and chatter, and so he ended up nodding lamely.

"May I help you, then?"

 _Nervous_ , Jude thought, his brain chugging along slowly. Connor sounded nervous. He nodded again. He had no reason to distrust Connor now, or, at least, he couldn't think of any. On the other hand, everything else was cold and frozen and so his brain probably wasn't running at full capacity. He managed to get back on his feet, but he leant against Connor so that the Beast didn't let go of him.

"It's not too far to the library," Connor said. "You should be able to make it."

His mouth gapped into a smile. It should have been terrifying, with the wide array of teeth and the jaw that could probably sever him in half without too much effort. But he leant on Connor's arm and he shuffled to the library. He still didn't feel _warm_ , though. Palaces weren't known for heat, and when they walked in the library door, Jude nearly fell over again. He could feel the heat from the fire and he would have crawled into the fire just to get warm. Luckily, he didn't have to, as Connor helped him sit next to the fire, and Jude clutched the cloak even more tightly to him.

"Oh, Jude! You look frozen!"

He didn't even have the strength to jump at Lena's unexpected voice. He just leant further toward the fire.

"Don't light yourself," Connor warned. "Could we get something warm from the kitchens?"

"Of course," Stef said. "We'll get it for you."

"Th-th-th-thank y-y-you," Jude forced himself to say.

"Don't turn blue while we're gone," Lena warned

"T-t-try n-not-t," Jude agreed.

He felt like he was getting colder, not warmer.

"Maybe a real blanket or two," Connor added.

"Th-t-thank y-y-you." He turned his head to look up at Connor. "D-d-doesn't h-h-h-hurt."

"They're servants."

"P-p-p-p- _people_."

"That too," Connor said, his voice quiet, though there was still the dark, beastly grumble no matter how he tried to speak. He sat down near the fire place, leaving a large amount of space between the two of them. "You shouldn't have followed me up on the roof, Jude."

"N-n-n-need … n-n-n-need s-s-say 's-s-sorry'."

"It could have waited."

Jude shook his head. He stretched his hands out next to the fire. "I … I th-think I h-h-have my f-f-fingers back."

"Good. We don't want you to start losing pieces."

Jude ducked his head and smiled. He turned as a cart rumbled into the room, piled with sweets and warm cocoa. On the bottom of the tray, there were several folded blankets. The cart ground to a stop beside them, and Jude reached for the blankets first. He was reluctant to pull Connor's cloak off him, but he knew that he had to give it back; he couldn't keep it. He placed it in the Beast's large paw, and immediately, he fastened it around his neck again.

The new blankets were thick and soft, and Jude nested himself in them, tucking his fingers between his thighs for extra warmth. He still shivered, and he looked toward the cocoa with longing, though he couldn't make himself emerge from his new cocoon. He should have thought of that before he nestled himself in here.

"Do you want some?" Connor asked, and Jude nodded gratefully.

He watched Connor pinch the delicate dishes in his claws, moving slowly so that he didn't spill a drop or shatter the dishes by using too much strength. He offered the full cup to Jude, and Jude kept his hands in the blanket, taking the cup like that. The heat from the drink seared his hands, even through the thick blanket. He started shaking again, and cocoa sloshed into his lap.

"S-s-sorry."

"It's okay," Connor said. "You've got a good reason."

"I … I'll c-c-lean it," Jude offered. He thought his teeth were starting to chatter less, and he risked taking a sip of his drink. He'd hardly tasted anything so fantastic; it was like dessert in a cup!

"There are servants," Connor reminded him. "They've been inactive a long time. I'm sure they'll be thrilled at having a blanket to clean."

Jude bit his tongue and looked toward the fire instead. The fireplace in the library was large and ornate, much like everything else in the palace. And Jude could feel his mind slowly turning, wondering why a palace like this would just be abandoned with everything inside and that everything was still inside. Jude wasn't a thief, but if he had come across an abandoned place with riches inside, he'd think twice about leaving it untouched. And he knew there were people who wouldn't have to think twice. The palace would be looted within days, if not hours, of the royals fleeing it. And he wondered about a beast who was used to having servants, clothes, and human comforts. There was something about this place that didn't completely add up, talking objects notwithstanding.

"What are you thinking about?" Connor asked him.

Jude thought of the rose; he didn't want to upset Connor by asking. He lived here, and that meant he was privy to certain things, but he was also a prisoner, no matter how he was treated, and that meant that there were things that he wasn't going to be allowed to know.

"I was th-th-thinking about the library." The lie didn't sit well on his tongue. "There h-has to be s-something in-interesting."

"I told you, I'm not a reader." The Beast flexed his hands in front of the fire.

"Nothing?"

"Why think a beast can read?"

Connor shrugged, and he didn't look over toward Jude. Jude took another sip of his warm drink and he looked toward the dusty stacks of books. Maybe he was completely wrong in his suspicions. Maybe Connor was the reason that the palace had been abandoned in the first place. Jude could imagine that if the Beast had showed up at his cottage and demanded to have it for his own, he wouldn't say no. He was terrifying. Jude looked back over to the Beast and amended his thoughts. The Beast was terrifying when he wasn't trying to figure out the best way to eat some of the ornate pastries that Stef and Lena had sent up along with the cocoa without looking like a complete mess.

"No one ever tried to teach you?

Connor hesitated. "It … wasn't an important skill for me to have."

"Why don't you pick out a book?"

"What?"

"We can read something. It'll be fun. Something to do while I try to stay warm."

"Well, your lips aren't blue anymore," Connor said.

"And my teeth aren't chattering. But I'm still not sure I have toes." Jude shrugged, and his cheeks went warm. "I just thought it would be something else to do in here."

"You're right. Um, I'll try to find something."

"Find me something good!" Jude said as Connor rose to his feet.

"No promises."

Jude shifted closer to the fire, and he hid his face in the soft blankets. He didn't understand why he was smiling or why his face felt so warm.

(-.-)

Connor flicked his tail anxiously against the back of his legs. Books, books, books. He couldn't remember the last time he had walked in around these stacks. Perhaps with a tutor, when he was so much younger, but even that wasn't a rock solid possibility. Often, his tutors would have the books prepared at the start of their lesson. They weren't going to give him an opportunity to waste time by lounging in the stacks or, worse, having Jesus and Mariana and Brandon hide in the library so that he could goof off with them before his tutor finally became impatient and hunted him out. Connor had heard far too many lectures from his father on how a proper future king should spend his time, and Connor had never really listened. Being a king had seemed like such a far off possibility and, besides, at the time when he would have tried to dupe his tutors, he would have been about seven. At seven, he'd never thought of the possibility that his father would die and leave the kingdom to him. It was something that he should have thought about. When it came to royal history (which he'd had to study extensively, from his own country, to his allied countries, to his enemy countries) it had happened a time or two.

Despite the length of time that Connor had spent avoiding the library, he automatically went to a certain spot in the stacks. During her pregnancy, the late Queen had spent many days in bed reading, as her physician had advised that bed rest would be better for the baby. At the time, Mike, Stef's late husband, had still been alive and had been head of the guard. Thus, Stef had been the personal bodyguard of the Queen. Connor had made her tell the stories many times. Normally, the Queen would have been left in the care of her handmaids and physician, but there had been a high possibility of war and King Adam had wanted to ensure the safety of his heir, and Stef had been appointed to that job. It was because of Stef that Connor knew what his mother's favourite book was. Connor had memorized its exact spot in the library, and he plucked the thick, leather bound book from the shelf. Sir Timothy, the tutor that Connor had the longest, had often commented on how much of a treasure the book was. It was old, hand-illustrated and ornately bound. The materialistic points of the book didn't matter so much to Connor, but he would have guarded it with his life. It was one of the only things he had, if not the only thing he had, that made his mother seem real.

He held the book gingerly in his beastly claws. For years, he had been too afraid to touch the delicate pages. He didn't want to tear it to shreds in an effort to relive the words he had all but memorized in his childhood. He trusted Jude to hold it. He also wished that he could trust Jude with all of the sentimental value that he would be holding, but Connor knew that he would have to bite his tongue on that one. Whether Jude broke the curse or not, after the deadline had passed and the last petal fell from the rose, Connor would tell him everything. He just wanted to give Jude the complete truth, but he knew that, if there was even the slightest chance that Jude would fall in love with him, he had to do it without the threat of the curse hanging over him. He didn't want Jude to try and love him because it would mean the entire palace would be saved.

He returned to Jude. Jude was closer to the fireplace, and his face was bathed in the strange orange glow that Jude made look good.

"What did you find?"

Connor sat down and handed the book over. Jude smoothed his hands over the cover.

"Fairy tales?"

Connor shrugged. "If you say so. I just picked one I thought looked interesting."

After the curse was over, one way or another, Connor was never going to lie to him again. If he ever saw Jude again. Once the curse was over, Connor would make sure Jude knew that the word prisoner didn't apply to him. There was no need to selfishly keep Jude close and doom him to a life in the palace when nothing would come of it.

"I don't know many fairy tales," Jude admitted. "Callie was never one for stories like this. Back when I used to live in the orphanages, every so often, someone would come in to read with us. But that was a long time ago."

"Is that where you learnt to read?"

"Started. Callie then made sure I knew how to read. It's a skill that she thought everyone should have, and I'm glad I know how. But I'm not good at it. I don't have a lot of time to practice."

"Better than I am."

Jude opened the book and Connor kept an eye on what he was doing. But Jude handled the thin pages as if he somehow knew how important the book was. Jude looked through the different stories in the book quickly, and it became overwhelming to Connor to watch. Usually, the thought of his mother's favourite book made him possessive and territorial. Not when it was Jude. The thought of Jude and his mother reading the same pages, putting their hands in the same spot, made him feel warm and happy. Connor had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. Was this what love felt like? Whatever it was, it was good and happy and Connor liked it. He wanted Jude to feel the same way, but he would never be in control of that.

"Did you want something else to drink? Eat? Are you warm?" Connor said in a rush. He didn't know what to do or say. He didn't know how to _care_ about people. That had never been something that he'd learnt.

"Sure, please, to both," Jude said. "And, yeah, I'm starting to feel more like a person instead of an icicle."

"That's good."

Connor carefully poured more cocoa into Jude's cup, feeling proud that he didn't spill anything. He put the cup on the edge of the fireplace, and Jude smiled at him gratefully. Getting the pastries onto the smaller plate was trickier. He didn't want to touch them with his claws because he came to the sudden realization that he should, maybe, eventually _wash_ them. He also didn't want to risk getting his fur in Jude's food. There were a few things he could think of that would be more embarrassing than watching Jude pick his fur out of the food that Jude was trying to eat. But only a very few. There was a small spatula that Stef and Lena had sent up to use with the snacks, but it was hard for Connor to pick up and even harder to maneuver. He managed to slide a few onto the plate and he sat it down next to Jude's cup.

"Thank you," Jude said. "What do you think about reading _The Frog Prince?"_

"Sure," Connor agreed. He settled down on the floor, wrapping his cloak around him.

"You can sit a little closer," Jude said. "I'd hate for you to miss out on the pictures. They're really beautiful."

"Oh, thank you."

Jude reached behind him and picked up one of the heavy cloth napkins. He wiped his fingers after tasting one of the pastries and then he slowly turned the page. The black writing made Connor's head feel like spinning, and he looked to Jude's face. Jude was squinting, but then he opened his mouth and began to read.

"Once upon a time …"

 **replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	9. Chapter 8

That winter brought storms like no one remembered seeing in the years previous. Snow battered at the windows daily and the palace was so cold that even Connor felt like shivering. He and Jude took to spending most days in the Games Room, the door firmly shut to keep the heat from the fire place in. Jude, particularly, was always shivering. He spent the morning in the stables with his horse and then he and Connor would always meet at noon to have lunch and play games.

Jude had to admit that he became lazy during those months. The carts brought up lunch and often brought a book or two from the library with them. Jude had developed a like for reading, because it broke the monotony, and because he got the feeling that Connor liked it when they read. Jude was trying to teach him, with his limited skills, and though Connor listened raptly, he seemed embarrassed whenever Jude offered him a book to read. Connor would never hold it, sometimes lifting his claws as an apology and an explanation. Jude would hold the book and flip the pages, and Connor would sit a distance away and lean in. Or, that was how he _had_ sat, until Jude had quietly murmured that it was okay if he just wanted to sit close. And so, he did. They sat close to each other at the long dining table now when they ate supper there, Jude didn't feel guilty if they brushed feet while sitting at their small games table. He could tell that physical contact still made Connor a little uncomfortable, which saddened Jude. How lonely Connor must have been!

And how strange Jude found the empathy that he now had for the Beast.

Jude rubbed his fingers against Phillipe's wide forehead. He was confused, but he didn't really understand _why._ Phillipe stamped his back foot and swished his tail, though his ears remained pricked forward. Jude checked over his shoulder, but he was alone in the stable, as he normally was. There were stable hands that cared for Phillipe, and Jude had anxiously inquired about them to Stef once. She had assured him that the objects like her no longer felt cold and that the stable hands were happy to have a horse to care for.

"Next day it's not storming, I'll let you out. I worry about you getting hurt in weather like this."

Phillipe snorted.

"I know, you're restless. I'm sorry. But there's not much I can do. I can't really let you inside to run around the palace," Jude joked. "Although there are all of those unused rooms. Connor doesn't seem to care too much about the place."

Phillipe dropped his head further into Jude's arms and Jude continued to scratch. As he always did when he went to visit Phillipe, growing plump and lazy in the stables, Jude felt guilty. Horses were expensive, but he and Callie had always scraped to make sure that Phillipe could eat as well as they could. He was their only source of transportation. Jude had worked for years with the same farmer, paying off the runty colt while he and Callie tried to live off her wages alone. It had been several long hard months, but Phillipe had been worth it. Phillipe had technically been _Jude's_ horse – Jude had paid for him and had done most of the work in training and raising him – but Callie had _needed_ him more for work.Now, Callie didn't have him and Jude knew she needed him. More than Jude did. Jude was never getting out of here.

"I wonder if he would let me take you to Callie," Jude mused. "Perhaps let me stay a night with her, just to say goodbye. I … I don't want to be alone here without you either, Phillipe. You're the last piece of home. Not that I hate it here. I did. But something seems different here now, Phillipe. Do you feel it?"

Phillipe didn't seem to. Jude wondered if it was all in his head or if he should just stop taking advice from his horse. He wasn't sure that Phillipe was the best gauge of things anyway. He gave his horse one more pat and then he let himself out of the stall. The stable itself was large and sturdy and, though it wasn't warm, per se, it was a lot better than the howling winds that Jude knew awaited him outside. He thought of the warm fire that was waiting for him upstairs in the Games Room and that gave him strength to dart out the door. He had to wade through the thick snow and his pants quickly became soaked. He was glad to be able to slip through the servants' door to the kitchen. It was always overwhelmingly warm in the kitchen; it was the perfect thing to walk into after the trauma of the snowstorm.

"How's Phillipe?" Lena asked.

"He's good. He's restless here. He's a work horse. He likes being useful."

"Then he fits right in with us here," Lena mused. "Are you worried about him?"

"Yes. I mean, more worried about what Callie is doing without him."

"Do you think of her often?"

"Every day." Jude took a seat at the small servants' table in the kitchen. "I don't … don't let Connor know. It's strange. Like I don't want to hurt him. But I shouldn't worry about that. I'm his prisoner. He's the reason that I miss her so much. He should know that."

Lena smiled a little; Jude thought she always did that when he said Connor's name, though he couldn't begin to fathom why. "At the risk of saying too much, he does know about that. I'm not telling you to hide your feelings, Jude, I think that it would be good if you _did_ say something. But that's up to you."

Jude propped himself up on the table. Lena was Connor's confidant. He knew she wouldn't betray Connor, just as she wouldn't betray him. Jude thought that he might be able to get her to help him somehow, though. Like she would be able to help him understand the confusion and the tangle of feelings he had.

"Do you think it's strange that I don't want to hurt him?"

"You and the Master have spent a lot of time together recently. What do you think?"

"I think it doesn't answer my question."

Lena laughed. "No, and I don't think I meant to."

"Why not?"

"Because it matters what _you_ think, Jude."

"I was worried you were going to say that. I know how I should feel but sometimes I don't know if that's the way it actually is. Nothing about that seems fair."

"It's probably not. You're a smart young man. Emphasis on the young." Lena's lips twisted and her tone was strange as she added, "You have a lot of time to figure things out. Don't rush anything. It's up to you to define how you feel about the Master and what he is to you."

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you call him 'the Master'?" They were servants. He was a master. There was something in Jude's brain that wanted to click, but Jude wasn't ready to let that happen.

"It seemed the appropriate thing to call him. Now, shouldn't you get out of those wet trousers before you make yourself sick?"

Jude could easily recognize the dismissal. "Need me to take you anywhere?"

"No, thank you. I'm actually waiting for Jesus. If you happen to see him on your way, however …"

"I'll send him on his way."

"Thank you."

"And do you mind sending up something warm to the Games Room sometime soon?"

"Not at all. It'll be there for you shortly."

"Thank you."

Jude left the warm kitchen and hurried through the drafty halls of the palace. He rushed up the main stairs, his pant legs rubbing uncomfortably against him. He was glad to reach his room and strip out of his damp clothes. Mariana already had warm fleece ones ready for him, carefully folded on the side of his bed. He pulled them on gratefully.

"Hey, have you seen Jesus? Lena's looking for him."

"No, I haven't," Mariana answered. "But he could be doing anything."

"That's helpful. Well, Lena _is_ looking for him if you happen to see him."

"All right. I'll let him know."

Jude opened the door to the room and Mariana made an indignant noise.

"What?"

"You're not going to stay and talk to me?"

"I talk to you every night. You know Connor's waiting for me. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Jude."

Jude left and he tried not to move too quickly to the Games Room. He shouldn't be in a rush to get to this part of his daily ritual. Connor knew that he was coming and that he wouldn't be let down by waiting for Jude, but Jude wanted to be in that warm cozy room. The Games Room, which Connor had repeatedly reminded Jude was now _his_ room. Jude pulled open the door and stopped. On the first floor of the Games Room, there was a sofa set up in front of the grand fireplace.

"Where'd this come from?" Jude called.

Connor leant over the railing of the upper floor. "Oh." Connor hopped over the railing and landed neatly next to Jude. "I had it cleaned up from one of the sitting rooms. I thought you might like it a bit more … you know, so you can stretch out while reading or whatever. It's really comfortable. I promise. Um, unless you don't like it. I can always put it back."

"No, it was very sweet."

Jude lowered himself onto the end of the plush red couch. He could tell it had been a long time since anyone had taken a seat on the couch. There were squeaks of protests from it, but the cushions were plump and firm. He pushed his feet out of his shoes so as to not dirty the freshly cleaned fabric and then he tucked his feet up on the other end of the sofa. It was a bit of a short piece of furniture – or maybe Jude was just that tall – but he was able to find a comfortable position. Connor had added a few more extra cushions to the couch and Jude tucked one underneath of his head.

"You didn't have to do this for me."

"I wanted to. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It was a great idea! Oh, but!" Jude straightened up. "I'm not leaving you much room to sit with me."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. I … don't exactly fit onto furniture like that anymore." Connor's tail swished anxiously against the floor. "I'll just sit on the floor here."

"I'll help you bring one of the chairs from upstairs down. We can sit here in front of the fire."

"I can manage a chair. Why don't you grab move a table over here and find a game?"

"Oh, you know me well enough to know I want to stay on the couch today." Jude grinned and pushed himself upward.

"I try to know you anyway."

"I think you do pretty well. What else am I thinking?"

Connor squinted at him, his heavy brows nearly obscuring his bright eyes. He cocked his head to the side. "I'll throw some more wood on the fire when we come down."

"Ah, so you've secretly been a mind reader this whole time."

"I wish." Connor rolled his eyes. "It would've made you a lot easier to understand."

Jude put his hands on his hips, frowning at Connor as he jumped up to the second floor and flung himself over the railing.

"You're the complicated one."

Connor didn't say a word, but with the way he stared at Jude, he didn't _have_ to say anything.

"Really. I'm very simple."

"Oh, sure."

Jude rolled his eyes and set about dragging one of the small tables over in front of the couch. He didn't want Connor to accuse him of being a slouch if he didn't have the table over there by the time Connor got downstairs with the chair.

"You're very complicated," Jude added.

"How am I complicated?"

"I've never known anyone like you before," Jude said.

"Because of the beast thing?"

Jude was glad he couldn't see Connor's face as he carried the chair down the stairs.

"You're the hairiest person I know," Jude confirmed.

Connor put the chair down and let out a small chuckle. Jude was glad that he was laughing. He'd been so worried that Connor would find the comment offensive. Yet more proof on how unpredictable Connor was.

"That's probably true." Connor threw a few more logs on the fire. Jude smiled at the remembered gesture. "What are we playing today?"

Jude ascended the steps and climbed one of the ladders. The ladders slid easily from side to side on rollers, as if they were part of the grand library instead – matter of fact, the same ones were in the library. Jude grabbed one of the boxes off the shelf at random and turned to look at Connor, who had gently sunk himself in the big chair that he'd carried downstairs. Jude secured the box under his arm and slowly walked back down the stairs, all the while trying to think of an answer to Lena's question. How did he view Connor?

He put the box on the table and sat down. "Connor?"

His massive head turned, cocked inquisitively in a way that was definitely characteristic of an animal.

"I –" Jude stopped as the door swung open and a cart rumbled it.

"It's early for lunch."

"Oh, I asked for cocoa. I thought it would be good."

"That sounds good."

Jude carefully poured them cups, knowing how much Connor hated to do it with his claws. They were silent for the first few sips of their drinks and then Jude opened up the game box.

"What were you saying before?" Connor asked.

"Oh. Um, would you call us friends, Connor?"

Connor nervously picked at his cloak. "I … would want to, Jude."

Connor was breathing shakily and Jude had to prompt him. "But?"

"But … with everything, you're the one that has to decide that."

Jude tried not to make a face. Why wouldn't anyone just bother having a conversation about this with him and just helping him talking it through? Why so much emphasis on figuring it out for himself? He focused on setting up the game tiles and then he looked to Connor and nodded decisively. "Even with everything, I think I would call you my friend."

There was an indescribable light in Connor's eyes as Jude said the words, and Jude couldn't help but smile at the expression. There was just something _more_ to Connor. More than the fearsome creature that he'd seen his first night here. But there was also a large part of Jude that worried about forgetting that part of Connor too. The Connor that was capable of the atrocious acts that had landed them here, sipping cocoa as friends in front of a warm fire. Jude curled his legs up onto the couch, leaning onto the arm that was furthest away from Connor. Maybe it was more complicated that just being _friends_. Maybe that was too simple. But Jude didn't know what else to do or what else to think when it came to Connor.

"Is everything all right?"

Jude hadn't thought Connor would notice. The Beast who had scared him so severely that he had run to wolves; the Beast that would throw his sister away like she was nothing; the Beast that had made Jude his prisoner. It was sobering to realize that he was _still_ a prisoner.

"Jude?"

There was a strange affection in Connor's voice and it made Jude's heart feel off-kilter, like the bottom of it was twisting and then falling off. He picked up his cocoa again. "Do you want first move?"

"You haven't told me how to play yet."

"Oh, right!"

Jude looked at the rules, which were carefully engraved on the top of the box. It was easiest to just fall back in the routine that he was used to with Connor. There was something comforting in that. And right now, above all else, Jude would rather be comfortable.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	10. Chapter 9

It was nearing the beginning of March when the storms finally broke. Jude had Phillipe outside every day, leading him around the snow. Occasionally, Jude rode him, but he was worried about ice. He didn't want Phillipe to fall and he didn't want Phillipe to fall while Jude was in the saddle. Sometimes, Connor would join them. He always gave Jude his space when they were outside with Phillipe. Jude liked that. Connor knew that Phillipe was uncomfortable and, rather than trying to push the horse, he let Phillipe have his space.

"I think that says a lot about him, don't you?" Jude asked.

Phillipe pawed the ground in search of grass. Jude supposed that was a valid answer too. He let Phillipe wander around for a bit, but there was a bitter chill in the air – winter's dying breath. Connor was hunting around the grounds too, lazily making snowballs and tossing them into the trees above him. The branches rained snow down upon Connor, but he didn't seem disturbed. He'd simply shake his mighty head and dispel the flakes, although his hairy neck and mane were becoming wet and slightly matted. Connor wasn't paying a lot of attention to Jude, at the moment, which Jude used to his advantage. He bent down and picked up some of the snow that Phillipe had turned up. The snow was decent, packing snow. Unfortunately for Connor, Jude also had a good arm.

Once Jude had the snowball he wanted, he stepped in front of Phillipe enough to get a good sight on Connor. Connor's back was turned and Jude aimed to just over the top of his purple cloak. He drew his arm back and threw. The target hit Connor on the exact patch of sandy fur Jude had been aiming for. He ducked back on the other side of Phillipe as a roar of surprise came out of Connor. Phillipe didn't like the noise and stepped backward, swishing his tail. Jude was left fully exposed to Connor, gripping Phillipe's reins.

He waved lamely, not sure what else to do.

"That was cold," Connor said, sounding surprisingly whiny.

"I thought you didn't feel cold!"

"It was mean!"

Connor was slowly approaching Jude and he wasn't particularly sounding like himself. Jude started to get suspicious. Had Connor had time to grab a snow ball? He could move incredibly quickly when he wanted to. Jude could have missed him collecting snow. Jude tugged Phillipe closer to him. Connor wouldn't hit Phillipe.

"I'm sorry." Jude guided Phillipe's head into his arms, trying to look innocent.

Connor stopped in his tracks, his bare paws slowly sinking into the snow.

"I think I'm going to take Phillipe in," Jude said. "I think he's had enough for one day."

Connor was watching him carefully, and Jude was still suspicious. He walked carefully with Phillipe and took him into the stable. He shut the door behind him, though he did leave it open a crack. He didn't want Connor to feel shut out and he wanted to keep an eye on what he was doing. He had to turn his back on the door for the briefest moment to tie Phillipe in the hall. When he turned back around, Connor was out of sight.

"Oh no," Jude murmured to Phillipe.

Phillipe was not concerned.

Jude brushed the horse and made sure there was water and hay in his stall before he returned Phillipe to it. Phillipe pawed at the shavings in his stall and then he stuck his muzzle in his water bucket. Since he was fine and content, Jude left the stables, this time shutting the door firmly so Phillipe would stay as warm as possible. He looked around for Connor, finally spotting the beast over by a nearby tree. Connor was peeking at him, trying to keep the bulk of his body hidden behind the trunk, although he was not overly successful. Connor was a large beast.

"Time to go in?" Jude called.

"Come over here for a moment, please!"

Jude went, despite his better judgement. He supposed it would only be fair for him to get hit with a snowball in revenge. He trudged through the snow, circling so that he could see what Connor was trying to conceal. It was the biggest snowball that Jude had ever seen. When he looked at the snow behind Connor, it was clear that he'd spent several long minutes rolling the thing around so that it was the size of a snowman's bottom.

Jude didn't want anything to do with it.

Connor was looking at him smugly. The only thing Jude could think to do was to bend down and grab his own small snowball, which was pathetic in comparison. Connor rested his claws against the side of the snowball and they just stared at one another. Jude took a step backward and Connor hefted the snowball. He wavered under the weight of it for a moment and Jude watched Connor's arm muscles tense. Had he overestimated himself? Was he going to drop it? But Connor steadied himself and Jude took two more quick steps back. He was in danger again.

Jude swiftly judged Connor's face and then the distance to the palace door. He _might_ be able to make it. He had to try. Connor was getting ready to throw the monster snowball. Jude threw his own small snowball, not even pausing to see if he'd caught Connor between the horns like he'd intended. He bounded through the snow and, only once he had his hand on the door handle did Jude turned around. Connor was still shaking his head and coming the fur around his head with his claws. The large snowball lay in broken pieces at his feet and it didn't take long for Jude to put together what had happened. He ended up laughing about it, which just made Connor look grumpy.

"Are you laughing at me?"

" _With_ you," Jude corrected. "Come on, don't sulk."

"I'm _not_ sulking." Connor took a leap over the banks of snow he'd created and approached Jude. "Wet fur isn't the most fun thing in the world, you know."

"It's not the most fun thing to smell either," Jude noted as Connor came near.

Connor shook himself again and a few errant water drops landed along Jude's face. He tried to brush them off without attracting Connor's attention. Connor had a slightly sour look on his face and Jude wasn't sure why.

"Don't tell me I smell like wet dog."

Ah. That made sense. Jude would have to be dumb to think that Connor had no insecurities about his beastly form. That, too, made Jude made Jude curious. What reason would a beast have to be insecure about who they were? Then again, what reason would a human have? Jude had numerous.

"Wasn't the comparison I'd use," Jude teased. It made Connor's expression lighten slightly. "Let's go in and dry off anyway."

He held the door open for Connor and Connor slipped through. Jude made sue Connor's tail was out of the way before he headed inside the castle. It wasn't warm, necessarily, inside, but there was no wind, which Jude was grateful for. He rubbed his hands up and down his arms, but it didn't help much.

"Let's stop by the kitchen," Connor suggested. "We can order some cocoa for the Games Room."

Jude was going to get fat, being spoilt with pastries and cocoa while he played games and relaxed on a luxurious couch. He liked doing it, certainly, but the guilt he felt when he thought about what he was doing and what Callie was probably doing threatened to overwhelm him. He didn't do anything to deserve this. When Callie had walked into the palace, she'd been locked in a cell. Whereas Jude had been promptly offered a room, and the more he ruminated on it, the more it bothered him.

He kept his mouth shut as they stepped into the kitchen. Stef was there, throwing apples into a sack. He didn't want to talk about it with Stef there.

"I thought Phillipe might like a treat," Stef said. "An apple mash is good in winter."

"Thank you," Jude said. "You treat him too well."

"We're just looking for cocoa to be taken upstairs," Connor interrupted.

"Not a problem. Though, speaking of stairs, stay off the main ones."

Connor's ears flicked in annoyance. " _Why_?"

"They're being cleaned," Stef said.

"Cleaned," Connor repeated flatly. "Why?"

"They were dirty and we have a guest, Master. The servants wish to impress."

Connor was still making a face.

"You can't take the stairs by the ballroom. They'll take you where you want to go."

"I know," Connor muttered. "Sorry, Jude. It's a longer route."

"I don't mind."

Stef reached behind her. "A cup for the road?"

Jude took the mug from her and she picked up the teapot. It was warm and Jude wondered who, exactly, she'd been making tea for. He and Connor were the only ones in the castle that consumed anything. Jude had never seen Connor drink tea and Jude didn't drink it regularly. It didn't matter. He was thankful for it. The porcelain mug overheated his cold hands and it was almost painful to hold. Jude still clutched at it for all it was worth.

Connor turned and swept from the kitchen and Jude easily kept pace with him. Connor always slowed down his walking when they were together.

"I don't think anywhere around the ballroom has been cleaned in forever. It's going to be disgusting."

"That's okay. To be honest, I've gotten a little used to the dust."

"It's not that bad."

"In the places we use," Jude said.

His point became clearer as they crossed the line of places commonly visited into parts of the castle that Jude wasn't sure he'd laid eyes on yet. His feet sunk into the layers of dust and it was almost like stepping in snow, except there was no characteristic crunch of freshly fallen flakes.

Connor shrugged. "It's not my job to clean. Besides, I've no use for stuff like that."

Connor gestured and Jude followed the line of his great paw to a set of ornate doors. Even by comparison of the rest of the palace, the large doors were overly lavish. Jude vaguely remembered them being pointed out to him before on one of his first tours of the palace with Connor. They were the ballroom doors, but Jude had never been inside of the room before. Holding his mug carefully, he pushed the doors open.

He was immediately hit by a stale smell. This place had been boarded up for an extremely long time and he coughed from the dust stirred up by the movement of the doors. Jude waved his hand around in front of him, trying to calm the dust in the air so that he could see properly. He was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the room. The ceiling must have reached up at least two stories high and the furthest wall seemed so far away that Jude wasn't sure how to measure the distance. At least half the distance across the small town he and Callie lived in, if not more. It was mostly a clear space, designed for dancing, although, as with all the rooms, there was an ornate fireplace for warmth. There was also a large rectangular rise off in the corner. Jude imagined this was where an orchestra would be. He looked up, trying to drink the whole setting in. Far above him was an extraordinary chandelier, though its magnificence was masked by grey dust and heavy cobwebs. Even further up than the chandelier hanging from its heavy chain, was the ceiling. It too was hidden behind years of grime, but Jude could still tell that it was painted. It was probably painted to be beautiful, but Jude could only make out humanoid shapes that were extremely dark in colour.

"What was up there?" Jude asked.

Connor looked up. "I don't remember."

"I bet this room looked beautiful, fixed up. I can just imagine the parties here. The _dances_."

"I never expected you to be a dancer."

Jude took another step in, dust flying up underneath of his footsteps. The silence hung heavy in this room. Jude suspected this room was only ever used for lively purposes; he couldn't imagine the neglect that it had gone through. It wasn't alone. Most of the palace was as abandoned as this.

"I'm not. I mean … I've never. There was a dance, once, in the village, but people there don't like me and I didn't want to go because I didn't want to deal with Liam. There was a girl who asked me if I was going to be there."

It took Connor seconds to long to ask, "Did you like her?"

"No." Jude turned his back on Connor. He was sure to be vague when he answered, "Not really interested."

Connor could decide if he was talking about girls or dances. Jude wasn't going to say much more than that. There was no need for Connor to hear about things Jude didn't understand or even speak to Callie about. Connor didn't reply and Jude tried to take a sip of his tea, only to discover that there were dust bunnies floating around in it. He lowered the mug.

"You have to wonder what this place was like before."

"Before me?" Connor said humourlessly. "I think it's easy to guess. Some king and his brat children probably lived here. Didn't realize what they were until a terrifying beast appeared and drove them out."

Jude turned. "Did you do that? I thought you said that you found the place abandoned. What happened to the people that were here before?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I was being sarcastic. It's a palace. Who wouldn't want to stay here?"

Connor was staring at Jude and Jude felt as if he were being studied rather than being looked at. He wasn't sure he liked it and he cleared his throat.

"It's beautiful. It almost makes me wish I could experience it when it was in its glory. Of course, what reason would I have for visiting a king? I can't imagine he'd want to see me if I were applying for a job. Maybe that would be it. I could get a job here. How well do you think working under royalty would pay?"

"You wouldn't have to worry about room and meals, that's for sure."

"Sounds like an easier existence than I have," Jude snorted, then frowned. " _Had_. The existence I have is pretty easy."

"Do you hate it?"

"No. Of course I don't. But I am cold, so, please, take me to my room, okay? I think I'd get lost if I tried it on my own."

"Of course." Connor gestured regally, half-bent at the waist. "After you."

Jude smiled at Connor as he walked by.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	11. Chapter 10

Connor watched Jude go over the rules one more time and then frown at the board. This game reminded Connor of chess, as it gave him the same sort of headache when he tried to figure out what game piece went where. Connor would have given up on it long before now, but Jude was overly determined to not only understand the game, but to play it out to its end. Connor could suffer along, if that was what Jude wanted.

Connor wasn't sure what else Jude wanted. Every time he asked, he always felt like he wasn't getting a satisfactory answer. He didn't blame Jude for that. Connor wasn't sure how to ask what he wanted from Jude either. But, maybe, he could do something for Jude. Something nice. He could gift Jude another room, but Jude didn't seem to have an interest in any of the other places like he did the Games Room. He liked the library, certainly, but no more than anyone else did. Then, Connor thought of the ballroom.

He knew how to dance. It was one of those things that a prince had been expected to be able to do and, even as a young teenager, he was adept at it. He'd hated his father's dances and political parties of course. He was always bored during, since Mariana, Jesus, and Brandon were always forbidden from attending and he was left alone. Back then, he'd vowed to abolish them when he became king. He was sure that spite had something to do with the absolute neglect of the ballroom.

He could get it fixed up. The idea formed in Connor's mind. They would dress up. They could feast on the fine foods that were always made for his father's balls. They could dance in the ballroom and then … then Connor would get a real answer out of Jude. He would ask what Jude wanted and then he would tell Jude that he loved him. Because of course he did. Because spending one winter with Jude at his side simply wasn't enough and he wanted to know if Jude felt it too. He wanted to know if Jude felt happier when he was near and if Jude looked forward to seeing Connor as much as Connor looked forward to seeing him. He wanted to know if Jude felt like they had the same sort of soul and if Jude felt the trust and urge to spill his heart's contents out for Jude to see the same way Connor did. This love thing was messy, Connor decided, but he was running out of time. He couldn't be scared now.

And the timing was rather perfect. He knew the weather patterns well enough to know that while it would still be cool for a while yet, spring was going to come in. The snow was going to disappear and there would be grass growing again. The ballroom cleaning was a big job. It would take a week, perhaps a week and a half, for the servants to return it to its former glory.

"I'll be back in just a moment," Connor told Jude.

"Sure. I'm just trying to figure this out." Jude turned the paper to the side and tilted his neck, as if it would give him better perspective on the impossible game.

Connor left the Games Room and bounded into the library. Stef and Lena were both in there, chatting quietly. With excitement in his voice, Connor asked them what they thought of his plan. He hoped they liked it. Connor wasn't sure what else he would do if they thought it a bad idea.

He needn't have worried. Stef and Lena both loved the idea.

"We'll have to get the both of you new suits," Lena said.

"Don't tell Jude that's what he's being measured for," Connor pleaded. "I want to surprise him."

"Our lips are sealed. We'll get everything in order for you," Lena promised.

"Thank you," Connor said breathlessly. "I'd better get back before he misses me."

"Go, go!" Stef urged. "Don't worry about a thing!"

Connor paused in the doorway of the library. "His favourite colour is blue!"

"Noted!" Lena said.

Connor ran off again, this time a smile taking over his face.

(-.-)

Jude looked out the palace window, though it was night and there wasn't much to see. He could hear the howling wind though, and he dropped the curtain, going to sit on his bed.

"I can't wait for spring," he mused.

"It's probably the last storm of the season," Mariana mused. "It'll change after this."

"Is the palace going to change after this?"

"How do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Mariana." Jude pulled his legs up on the bed. "Things have been weird around here for the past couple of weeks. I feel like I've barely seen anyone but Connor and even though we usually do the same things every day I feel like I've been really isolated. Like I'm being _kept_ to the same places. I guess it's fair, though. I am a prisoner."

Mariana creaked as she shifted and then she took a few shuffling steps to Jude's side, unfurling one of her door handles to rub his shoulder.

"I'm scared to ask about it," Jude admitted.

"I suggest … you don't get too down in the dumps about it until tomorrow."

Jude looked up at her sharply. "You know!"

Mariana laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately. "You should know better than that by now. I always know what's going on."

"Yeah. I guess I do know that." Jude smiled up at her and then he let out a little sigh, leaning against the wall.

"What's on your mind?" Mariana took a careful seat at the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking and the wood of her body groaning.

"Connor, I guess," Jude said, and he picked at the seam in his pants. They were well-made, though, and nothing came loose. "I like being here. I like being here with him but sometimes I … I think about asking to go. I want to see my sister again and living here is … is wonderful, don't get me wrong, but, I'm trapped. And I know that was the point. But … he and I are friends now. I think that makes it different."

"I think it makes it different too," Mariana agreed.

"And I don't know what to do," Jude admitted. "I don't want to hurt him by asking to go or making him think that I just befriended him to get out of our prisoner agreement. That … wasn't why. I didn't mean to be his friend, but we ended up that way. What do I do, Mariana?"

"Talk to the Master. You two are friends, so I think that it could work out. But, one thing, though."

"What?" Jude looked up at her.

"Let the Master talk to you about something first."

"What is going on?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Jude made a face at her and then pushed himself from the bed and onto his feet.

"Aw, come on," Mariana said. "You aren't that mad, are you?"

"No, I'm not. But I'm not really tired, either. I was going to go to the library and find something to read."

"I suggest the histories of royal lineage," Mariana said. "They could put _anything_ to sleep. There's a hundred of them, at least, in the library."

"Have you read a lot of them?" Jude asked.

"I'm a little literate," Mariana admitted, then she beamed at him. "I'm the smartest wardrobe you know!"

"That's true," Jude said. "Okay, I'll be back in a little while. I'll try not to wake you when I come in."

"Don't worry about that. I'm always here if you need to talk."

"Thanks."

Jude took one of the torches from his bedroom and headed out into the hallway, shivering. It was still cool between the stone walls and he wished he'd thought to dress in a warmer top. He'd start a fire as soon as he got to the library, provided that there wasn't one already going. It was late, though Jude didn't know if the fires were completely extinguished at night or if they were kept up in the rooms that were used. He didn't usually wander around outside of his room at night. In fact, part of him was worried about getting lost on his way to the library, even though he had been there over a hundred times during the course of the winter. He just simply didn't go many places without Connor. Jude spent most of his day with the beast and while it could have been thought to be exhausting, Jude didn't find it that way. Spending his day in the company of the same person wasn't boring to Jude; Connor never bored him. When they talked, the conversation flowed. When they read together, it was comfortable.

Jude liked everything about his days with Connor. He thought that was why he felt so conflicted about asking Connor to go see Callie. Jude missed his sister, but he knew that if he went, he would miss Connor too.

The fire in the library wasn't much more than embers, so the first thing that Jude did was take wood from the pile and stoke the fire up. He needed a great fire going to get enough light to read by. Once he was sure that the fire was going to catch and grow within the grate, he took his torch to go inspect the stacks of books. He held the torch very carefully. He would hate to risk a fire in the room. Though he wasn't much of a reader and he lacked a finer appreciation for literature, he knew that they were important. And this had once been a royal palace. He was sure that the books in this room were even more important than the average book that might have existed in the small shop in the village. Jude found a book on pirates and he thought that it might be more interesting than the royal lineage, although if he really wasn't feeling sleepy in the next hour or so, he would consider taking Mariana's advice.

He tucked the book under his arm and went to get comfy in front of the fire. He was met with a near heart-attack, though, as Connor was peering in the doorway of the library.

" _God!_ " Jude exclaimed, dropping the book and pressing his hand to his heart. "I didn't even hear you coming!"

"I'm sorry," Connor said. "I just heard you wandering outside of your room and thought something might be wrong."

"You _heard_ that?"

"Yeah. I mean, things that happen in the hallways can be easy for me to hear." Connor flicked his ears and then reached up to scratch behind his horns. "Rooms, especially with doors closed, are hard for me to hear. From the West Wing, anyway."

"That kind of hearing must be hard to live with."

"You get used to it." Connor shrugged and then he stepped into the room in order to pick Jude's book up for him. "What are you reading?"

"Biographies of famous pirates. But I haven't gotten a chance to start it yet."

"Pirates, really?"

"Why not?" Jude asked. "I've never seen the sea. I thought it would be exciting."

"The sea's beautiful," Connor said.

"You've travelled?"

"I was … nomadic, once," Connor half-whispered. "I've seen some things."

Jude flopped down on the couch, rubbing his hands up his arms. He needed to be closer to the fire. "I haven't seen much."

"You will, someday."

"Not so long as I'm a prisoner," Jude said, and he couldn't keep his eyes from looking toward Connor. He didn't want to be free to go without Connor. He wanted to know what Connor looked like, standing on a beach with him, and it was a silly thing to want. Jude wasn't even sure where the desire came from. He cleared his throat. "Is it okay to move this closer to the fireplace?"

"Sure, I've got it."

"Oh, I can help –"

Jude's offer was cut short. Before he could even stand up off the couch, Connor had lifted it and moved it closer to the fireplace. It was perfect; Jude could feel the warmth of the flames evenly over his body, but he didn't feel as though he was going to burn up, which was the important part. Connor poked his head over the back of the couch.

"Too close?"

"No, it's great."

"May I sit with you?"

"Always."

Connor maneuvered his hulking body around to the front of the couch and sat down on the far end, leaving distance between the two of them as he always did. Jude stared over at him, trying to decide what he was thinking. Connor didn't seem to notice his gaze. Instead, he carefully used his claws to open the first page of the book.

"They've got really nice drawings," Connor commented.

Jude slid further down the couch so that his arm was pressing against Connor's. Jude was half-sitting on the long fold of Connor's cloak and he leant so that he could look at the picture. He heard Connor inhale shortly and then exhale in a long breath.

"It looks like a really nice ship, but what do I know?"

Connor closed the book.

"Or it's a really bad ship," Jude said with a shrug.

"I want to ask you about something," Connor said.

"What?"

"The night after tomorrow, I was hoping you'd … Um, attend a dinner … with me. I've been … planning and I'm hoping to make it a good night. For us."

Jude lowered his eyes. If he had just been overhearing the stuttered offer, he would have thought it was an awkward teenager asking for his first date. With that in mind, Jude was temporarily rendered speechless. He smiled, though. There was a warmth in him that had nothing to do with the fire. He looked back up at Connor, whose large fang was gripping onto his upper lip anxiously.

"I'd love that." Jude saw the doubt on Connor's face. "No, really, I would love it. Is this what everyone has been so busy with?"

"You noticed?"

"Yeah. But I think it's really sweet you'd plan this much."

"You do?"

"Yes." Jude smiled at him and Connor smiled back. "You could also be sweet and read some to me."

"I could."

"I know your eyesight has to be better than mine."

Connor opened the book. "Any particular pirate you want to start with?"

Jude peered at the table of contents. "Let's just start at the beginning."

Connor read very slowly, his grumbling voice low and even. Jude pulled a cushion into his lap and tucked his legs up on the couch. It was late at night and his eyes were beginning to drift shut. It didn't take long before he ended up with his head against Connor's meaty shoulder, the velvet cloak making a soft pillow. He didn't intend on drifting off but he must have, because his eyes jerked open and the evening felt much later.

"Connor?" he murmured.

He'd ended up curled on the couch, the top of his head touching the Beast's leg, though his head was actually resting on the couch. He was clutching the pillow tightly in his arms and Connor had draped his purple cloak around Jude, as a makeshift blanket. Jude half lifted his head off the couch, and then he decided he was too tired for that, and he dropped his head back against the couch.

"Hey," Connor replied. "What did you dream of?"

"Nothing, I don't think. I think I'm still sleeping."

Jude sighed and tried to turn over in order to curl up and fall asleep again. Connor put his hand on Jude's shoulder.

"You should go up to bed, Jude."

"Why?"

"Because you're tall and you're going to regret sleeping here."

"It's comfy," Jude whined.

"For now."

Jude flipped onto his back and stared up at Connor. He drew the cloak up around him. It was so large that it truly did feel like a blanket. "I'm tired."

"I know."

"And my bed's far."

"I know. I guess I'm just trying to look out for you." There was an embarrassed look on Connor's face when he looked away from Jude.

"And I appreciate it. If only I could be carried to bed." Jude stretched out. "Callie used to be able to do it, when I was really little."

"You can't be that heavy," Connor said.

"Well, you can lift couches," Jude said. "What is heavy to you?"

Connor shrugged and then he stood, stretching his arms out and then holding out his paws to Jude. "I'll help you up. Come on."

"You could carry me," Jude murmured.

"What?" Connor's ears flicked forward.

"You can lift couches," Jude repeated. "You could lift me."

"I _could_. I just don't know … if you'd trust me."

"What could you do to me that you've never had the chance to do before? Please, Connor."

"Don't get used to being carried," Connor said.

Jude was sure that Connor meant to sound stern, but he seemed more nervous. Jude promised he wouldn't and then he reached his hand up. Connor scooped him up, Jude's back supported by one of Connor's arms and Jude's leg supported by the others. Jude had never been so close to the Beast before. Connor had extreme heat rolling from his chest. Trying not to be obvious, Jude pretended to be fiddling with the purple cloak that still surrounded him, but, really, he touched the fur on Connor's chest. It was softer than the fur on his paws, which was what Jude was used to touching. It felt more like cat fur than Phillipe's slightly coarse hair. Jude quickly tucked his fingers under the cloak. Connor could be so touchy about his beastly state and Jude really couldn't be sure if he would be okay with Jude touching him like that purely for the sake of curiousity.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Connor asked.

"Positive. I actually really appreciate it." Jude yawned. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"It's okay. I know you're tired."

"You must be tired too."

"We can sleep in tomorrow," Connor said.

"I sleep too much here. With Callie, I'd be up before dawn."

"I know."

Connor's steps were long and steady, and it was like being rocked back to sleep. Jude's head fell against Connor's shoulder and he was almost back to sleep in the short time that it took Connor to get back to Jude's room. Connor got the door open and from the hallway torchlight made it to Jude's bed. Jude was only vaguely aware of Connor managing to turn some of the bedsheets down and then carefully lower Jude into bed.

"Thank you," Jude murmured.

"See you in the morning," Connor answered. "Don't feel bad about sleeping in."

Jude nodded and Connor drew the covers up around him. Then he left, closing the door securely behind him. Once he heard the door shut, Jude reached under the covers in order to messily push off the uncomfortable pants he was wearing and simply sleep in his softer shirt. It was only as his fingers brushed the material that Jude realized that he was still wrapped in Connor's cloak. After kicking his pants off, Jude cocooned himself in the soft velvet and snuggled in tightly.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	12. Chapter 11

Jude perched on the edge of his bed and stared at Mariana. Mariana was holding a new suit out to him and he stared at it. He hadn't realized that this dinner Connor had been planning for him was going to be so extravagant to warrant completely new clothes. Jude wasn't even sure the last time that he had gotten completely new clothes. Usually, he and Callie procured hand-me-downs and Callie would gather scraps from the seamstresses she worked for in order to patch them up. And Jude had never received clothing such as this. Even without touching the fabric, Jude knew it was fit for the royalty that had used to live here. And it was flashy. The fabric itself was yellow, which Jude thought was an odd choice, although he surprisingly liked it. It wasn't as if the suit was all yellow – there was a swirling, navy pattern that went throughout the jacket and the pants. It must have taken someone a very long time to accomplish it.

"Wow." That was all Jude had. Then, "Tonight's a big deal."

"What do you think?" Mariana asked.

Jude was tempted to talk about the suit, even though he knew that wasn't what she had in mind. Jude stood up off the bed and turned to the window, looking at the horizon line. He wasn't sure what to say.

"Jude?"

He didn't know if he was facing toward his village or away from it. All he knew was that Callie was out there and he missed her more and more with every day that passed.

"I'm not ready to think."

"Do you not want to attend tonight?"

"I do," Jude said quickly. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea about that. "But that's also a little hard to think about."

"Let's get you dressed," Mariana said. "You've even got new shoes!"

Jude smiled for her sake. He wasn't the type to get excited about new shoes, though like with everything, he should have been excited about them. New shoes weren't something he received often. Mariana helped him figure out the many layers and pieces that went into the clothing. Jude had never worn something that required so much effort to put on. He supposed that this would probably be normal to him if he'd grown up in the castle, doing things like attending fancy dinners. When he was done dressing, he carefully put on his shoes, heeding Mariana's warning about how to move in the suit.

"We're having dinner," Jude reminded her. "What if I get something on it?"

"I suggest you don't!" she replied brightly. "Do you feel ready?"

Jude nodded. "I … I think so. I'm nervous."

"That's okay."

"Do you think Connor is nervous?"

Mariana laughed loudly. "I promise you that the Master is nervous. But you have no reason to be. You've had dinner with him a lot over the past few months."

Jude remembered that first, awful invitation to dinner, when Connor was just a beast who scared him. How had so much changed in just a few short months? Connor was a different person now, especially in Jude's eyes. And Jude was sure that there was something about this palace, something about Connor himself, that had changed Jude. Jude rubbed his hands together to get a little bit of warmth to his fingers and then he took a deep breath.

"Here I go."

"Here you go."

Jude rested his hand on the doorknob and then he turned back to Mariana.

"Don't you worry," she told him.

Jude nodded, recited that to himself and opened his bedroom door. He walked purposefully down the hallway. He was to meet Connor at the main stairway, but Jude wasn't sure _where_. The stairs were split in two – one leading to the West Wing and the other leading toward Jude's wing. They met together on a lower landing before feeding into another set of steps that went down to the actual lower floor of the castle. Jude worried about whether he met Connor on the landing or at the very bottom of the stairs until he reached the top of the stairs on his side of the castle and realized he needn't have worried about it all. He and Connor were both perfectly on time and Connor was standing at the top of the stairs as well.

Jude was more than glad for distance. Connor had dressed up in a suit of dark blue with gold stitching. It was one of the first times that Jude had seen him without his familiar cloak, aside from the morning Jude had given it back to Connor over breakfast, as Jude had spent the night using it as a blanket. Connor was an impressive sight, and Jude hadn't realized that they'd both been standing there, staring at the other, until Connor shifted and rested one massive paw against the bannister. Jude tried to take equal steps with Connor so they reached the middle platform together. Jude resisted the urge to stick his hands in his pockets for lack of anything else to do.

"I didn't realize this dinner would be so fancy," Jude murmured.

"Do you hate it?"

"No." Jude touched the front of his suit and then looked at Connor's. "Fancy is good."

"Good." Connor grinned that smile that would have looked horrifying to anyone who didn't know he was happy and just focused on his teeth. "Because it gets worse."

"Show me!" Jude said, and he couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

Connor hesitantly offered Jude his paw. Jude took it, only to stare at how completely Connor dwarfed his small hand. He didn't have time to think about it, because Connor took a step and Jude had to do his part to keep pace with him, so neither of them felt like they were changing their stride. As the first thing, Jude and Connor went to the dining room. The long table was set elegantly and a single hat stand was playing the violin in the corner of the room. The table was set: two place settings at each end. Jude looked at the long table and then up at Connor.

"Why do you like to have me sit so far away?"

Connor laughed. "It's not intentional. It's just traditional."

Traditional? Jude chewed on the word. What would the beast know about tradition? But Jude shrugged through it. There was so much that he didn't know about this palace or this enchantment that surrounded it. Connor signalled for a servant and Jude's place setting was sat next to Connor and his chair moved for him. Connor pulled Jude's chair out for him. Jude sat down, saying 'thank you' and waited for Connor to take his own seat.

"Is it traditional for a beast to be raised as a gentleman?" Jude asked.

Connor shrugged. "I guess it depends on the beast. Did you have one to use an as example?"

"Maybe," Jude said, blushing, even though he didn't know why.

The first course was served. It was a soup, served in a large bowl. Jude picked up his soup bowl so that Connor wouldn't feel left out. There was a spirit in the dining room that was cozier and Jude felt close to Connor. As if everything they had done together over the past few months was building up to where they were sitting now. Jude felt as if the world was either going to make or break and the thought made him antsy. He put down his soup bowl and stood from the table. For once, Connor was looking up at him.

"What is it?"

"I just feel … excited. Let's eat the rest later. I want to know what else there is."

"Yeah, we can do that."

Jude picked up both of Connor's hands in his own and helped him from the chair. They were out the dining room door in an instant. Jude heard the sounds of the violin stop and then they were headed toward the ballroom. Jude held his breath, because he didn't want to think that they were going to the ballroom for _sure_ , but then they were in the hallway, and it had been cleared of dust and other dirt. It was so clean it _sparkled_. The doors themselves had been returned to their former states and the doorknobs glistened. If the inside of the ballroom was as clean as the area outside, Jude understood what the rest of the palace had been doing and why they had been so scarce lately. He put his hand on one doorknob and Connor put his on the other. They pushed the doors open together and Jude was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty.

The floor was like standing on light itself. Jude looked up and the chandelier sparkled and shone. The ceiling was decorated with beautiful portraits of angels and cherubs. Jude just kept staring upward, trying to take in the details of the ceiling, but it was impossible too. It was not only such a distance, but there was so much to look at. Jude didn't think he wanted to know how long it had taken someone to accomplish it. It was certainly a masterpiece. Jude had been staring so long that he was startled when he heard a band start to play. He had never even heard them come in.

"Connor, it's beautiful!"

"You think?"

"I think!" Jude turned in a half-circle, trying to take in everything around him.

"Do, um … it's … Well, it's a ballroom. We should dance."

Jude turned to Connor. "Should we or do you _want_ to?"

"I want to," Connor said firmly. "If … if you do."

Jude could only smile, because that was what he wanted to hear, and he wasn't sure how excited he should be about it. He wasn't sure how that fit into his world at all, because even after all this time, Jude knew that his world _couldn't_ be here, because there was Callie, and she had always been the biggest part of him. But then Connor put one hand on his waist and Jude reached one hand up to his Connor's shoulder. The orchestra started up a slow rhythm and then, before either of them could move a foot, Jude blurted, "I can't dance."

"It's easy. Follow me."

Jude nodded, because he trusted Connor and he could do that. Connor didn't give Jude a chance to say another word. With a quick step, they were off and dancing. Jude didn't pause to think about how to do what he was doing. He let Connor be his guide and let the music dictate how their steps moved and that was enough to make Jude feel like they were floating on air. All there was in his world was beautiful music and Connor's face and he just felt _happy_. And that was when Jude knew. That was when the truth slowly stole over him and he felt the truth of it break his heart, because somehow, he had managed to fall in love.

The music seemed to fade, and Jude realized they were at the other end of the ballroom. He looked back at the distance they had travelled and it didn't seem real that they had managed to come to so far without him realizing.

"One more thing to show you."

"What?"

Connor led him a few steps back and opened a balcony door. Jude hadn't even realized there was a balcony here, but he wasn't surprised. It seemed that it every room in this palace had one. But this one was beautiful. The weather had warmed up enough that it wasn't uncomfortable to be outside without thick coats on. Connor led Jude over to the stone railing and Jude looked down. They were overlooking the garden that he and Phillipe often walked around in. The world was turning green again, but it was nowhere near the flowery beauty that would come in the spring and summer.

"Jude?"

Jude faced Connor again and for the first time, he noticed that Connor had a blue bow tying the thickness of his mane back. It was an elegant touch that Jude hadn't expected and it had made him smile.

"Connor?"

"Are you happy here?"

Jude nodded and then he let out a shaky breath. "Well …"

"Well, what?"

"I mean, I think about Callie all the time. I just want to know she's all right. I want … I want to see her again."

Connor rubbed at the back of his neck. Then, "Come with me, please."

Jude followed him back through the ballroom, out the door, and up the main stairs toward the West Wing. Jude tried not to think of how scary Connor's living quarters were for him. He fully remembered what the beast had done to him last time he was there, though he knew the situation had changed since then. He glanced around the broken remains of the bedroom, and it appeared that nothing physically had changed. Connor picked up a silver mirror that was resting on one of the small tables that was still intact in the room. It was something that seemed out of place – both in the room and in Connor's hand.

"It's enchanted," Connor said. "It will show you whatever you ask it to."

He handed it over to Jude and that was when Jude realized just how large the mirror was. It wasn't a remnant leftover from one of the ladies that used to inhabit the house. It was a mirror fit for beastly paws. Jude had to use to hands to support it – one on the handle and one on the back of the mirror.

"I … I'd like to see my sister … please."

The mirror began to glow bright green and Jude winced at the sudden burst of light. He turned his face away from the mirror until the light died down and then he turned back to the mirror. Instead of seeing his reflection, he saw an image of Callie. She was not in the little cottage that they rented or spending a night at work. She was out in the woods somewhere, the wind ripping at her. As Jude watched, she let out a horrific cough and nearly collapsed to the ground. He might have just been imagining it, but he thought he heard the howling of wolves. Then, Callie _did_ fall to the ground.

"No," Jude gasped. He felt his heart constrict and he looked up at Connor, unable to voice the horror he felt at seeing his sister like this.

"Go," Connor told him.

Jude wavered, because part of him wanted to stay. He wasn't sure what to do with himself now. He wasn't sure if Connor was truly letting him leave.

"She needs you," Connor said. "Go."

"Thank you."

Jude went to hand him the mirror back, but Connor stayed his hand. "Take it. Use it to guide you to your sister. And use it as something to remember me by."

Jude held the mirror to his chest. "Thank you. I-I'll come back, I promise!"

And then Jude ran, thinking only: _practical clothes, get Phillipe, get to Callie._ When he left, he didn't look back.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	13. Chapter 12

Jude bent over Callie's bedside, pressing his hand against her forehead. She'd had a raging fever throughout the night and Jude had spent the long hours worrying about it, wondering if and when it was going to break. He had battled with the idea waking the town doctor throughout the night and, eventually, he had settled upon going for the doctor at first light, if Callie had no change in her, and going immediately if she seemed to get any worse. Her fever seemed to be lifting, but that might have been hopeful thinking on his part. He turned around and dabbed a cloth in some cool water. He pressed it against Callie's forehead and a low moan escaped her lips.

"Callie?" Jude sat on the edge on the bed. "Callie?"

Her eyes flickered and then she bolted upright. Her hands seized him and her eyes were wild.

"Callie, it's okay, it's me. We're home, you're safe."

She looked from side to side, squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath as she realized she was no longer trapped in the woods.

"Jude?! Are you safe?"

"I'm safe!"

Callie grabbed him in a hug and Jude clung to her. It was different than holding her close to him on Phillipe's back, trying to keep her still body from sliding off the side of the horse. She was able to give him a real hug back.

"I missed you," Jude whispered, because he hadn't realized exactly how much he had until she was back.

"How did you escape?" Callie demanded. She pushed him back to put her hands on his shoulders and inspected him. "I was expecting to have to … to try and kill that thing to get you out!"

The thought disturbed Jude. Not just because Callie had never killed anything bigger than a grasshopper, but he hated the thought of anyone hurting Connor. He didn't doubt that Callie, if she had the right motivation, _could_ kill something.

"He let me go, Callie. He's not as scary as you remember him."

Callie looked doubtful about that, but Jude couldn't really blame her. If their positions had been reversed, if she had been the one locked in the palace, he wouldn't try to give a beast the benefit of the doubt.

"Really, I'm okay. I'm here now."

"I was so worried about you."

"I know, and now look at you, almost dead."

Callie gave him an eyeroll for that.

"I put a soup on, for when you woke up," Jude said. "I'll get you something to eat."

He had fully intended for her to stay in bed, but Callie draped one of their heavy quilts across her shoulders and followed him in the kitchen. Jude didn't say a word to his stubborn sister. Instead, he made sure that she stayed seated in one of the kitchen chairs, adjusting the blanket over her shoulders like a mother hen. Callie was always the one in the caretaker role, and she didn't particularly appreciate being the one taken care of. Jude didn't let her move, ladling her soup for her and carrying it to the table. It was a far cry from what would come out of the kitchens at the castle. This was little more than broth, with a few pieces of aged vegetables that Jude thought should be used up.

"Thank you," Callie said.

"What made you decide to wander around the woods, Callie? The weather hasn't been great –"

"I was looking for you! It was hard to remember exactly where that damn castle was. I tried to get other people to help me but … no one believed me when I said … you'd been taken by a beast. I even asked Liam! I thought, of all people, he'd help me, because you know how he's always paying attention to me. But he wouldn't go and look unless I slept with him first."

"Tell me you didn't."

Callie stared down at her soup, spinning the spoon around the bowl. "I thought about it. I thought you were trapped in a tower, at best, or killed and eaten, at worst! I almost did. But then I thought about how you'd look at me if I did, because it's not just me he bothers. He likes to torment you. And I wouldn't let him do that to us and have that over us. I hope you don't hate me for that."

"No, Callie, of course not. I promise you, I wasn't being mistreated there."

Callie didn't look like she believed him whatsoever. She finally ate a large spoonful of soup, and then she said, "I've never seen Liam so angry as when I turned him down."

"Has he been bothering you?" Jude asked. If he had, then they'd move. Connor would let them live in castle. Jude was sure of it. Callie might get bored, but if they were there as guests, then it wouldn't make a difference. They'd be allowed the freedom to come and go. She just wouldn't have to live in the same town as Liam anymore, and that was the important part.

"I haven't been here." Callie abandoned the spoon and lifted the soup bowl directly to her mouth.

"I was fine."

"I don't believe that."

No, of course not. She had no reason to. Callie put the bowl down with a clatter and a few remaining droplets splashed out of the bowl and onto the table top … and the mirror that Jude had left sitting there. Callie went to clear the soup with a finger and picked up the silver mirror.

"What's this?"

It looked even bigger in her hands than it did in Jude's own.

"I was gifted it."

"By who?" Callie turned it over. "That looks expensive."

"You can't put a value on it."

"I might. I –" She was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who's that going to be?"

Jude shrugged and went to answer it as another loud knock resounded through the tiny cottage. He wasn't surprised when Callie straightened up to follow him, only half a step behind him. It was still dark outside, sometime in the early hours of the morning. No one else should have been awake right then, which made the knock all the more suspicious. Callie was clearly upset with the intrusion; it wasn't as if they ever got many visitors, anyway. Their little cottage had always been theirs, with no one else to bother them.

"Who's there?" she called, and the knock just sounded again.

Jude opened the door slowly.

"Hi."

Speak of the devil.

"Liam? What do you want?"

"To see if you'd been eaten by a beast," Liam said. He pressed on the front door and, though Jude tried to fend him off, he just wasn't that strong. "And to see the lovely Callie, of course. Has she gone any crazier?"

Liam stepped inside and Jude could suddenly see that he wasn't alone. His ever faithful sidekick, Fooly, was standing in front of a few other men: two strong-armed and intimidating, and the third, skinny, and almost sick looking. Behind them, there was the carriage for the asylum. Alarmed, Jude turned to face Liam.

"What's this about?" Callie demanded.

"Well, my dear, I've become worried about your … mental health." Liam reached up to stroke the side of Callie's face, but she batted him away. "Raving about beasts."

"There is a beast! I'm not crazy! Now, get _out_. You've no business here."

"If you're delusional, you must get help."

The tall man stepped forward. "I am the director of the asylum. I promise, we'll take good care of you."

Jude didn't trust his look.

Liam went to put his hands on Callie again and Jude stepped between them.

"This isn't your decision to make!" Jude protested.

"No one's going to stop me. A mad woman could be a danger to the town."

"Liam, you are so full of sh –"

The director cleared his throat. "We have been contracted to retrieve you. We can either do this the easy way or the hard way."

Jude was a step away from grinning, because they clearly did _not_ know Callie well enough. But he couldn't quite get there, because the gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in. They could just _take_ Callie, and neither of them could stop it. There was no guarantee when, or if, he would get to see her again. It wasn't like the situation with the Beast, where he could sacrifice himself for her. They were just going to _take_ her.

"What if she's not crazy?" Jude blurted, already feeling guilty for what he was about to do. "What if there is a beast?"

Liam laughed at him with Fooly reaching near-hysterics. "Take them both," Liam advised the director.

"No, wait!" Jude grabbed the mirror from the kitchen table, holding it tenderly in his hands. "Show me the Beast!"

A bright glare of green came from the mirror, nearly blinding him. He sucked in a breath, seeing the image of Connor appear. He looked so _sad_ , and Jude's heart plummeted. As soon as Callie was well, he would go back. They would go back. He would show her how different the palace was from her memories and that the staff were wonderful. He would go back and see Connor again. Maybe they would dance in the ballroom again and eat the feast that Jude had been too excited to taste. He looked up at turned the mirror around, shoving it in Liam's face.

"Look! He's real!"

Liam's face collapsed in horror and before Jude could do anything, he seized the mirror. "What is this? What is this thing _?_ "

"He's my friend! Give me the mirror back!"

"A _friend_ ," Liam drawled. "This _creature!"_

"He said give him the mirror back, Liam!"

"Fooly!" Liam turned the mirror. "What is this?!"

"A beast!" Fooly gasped.

The director of the asylum took a horrified step backward. "Where … Where is that thing!? It's going to come and eat us!"

"No, he wouldn't!" Jude protested. He felt Callie's hand tug at his back, but Jude was not going to back down. He was not going to let them hurt Connor, not when Connor would never hurt anyone. "He's gentle and kind! We're friends!"

Liam stared the two of them down with a cold eye and then glanced at the image of Connor. It was bad timing that he chose that moment to let out a pitiful roar; it wasn't even as scary as it could be. Jude knew that from experience. It was such a sad sound that his heart almost broke. He wanted to tell Connor he would be back soon.

"Do you hear that affection for the beast?" Liam asked, his eyes bouncing between Callie and Fooly.

"Does it matter? We have to get rid of that thing!" Fooly squawked.

Liam held the mirror close. "If we do, we'll be heroes."

"He's not a danger!"

"Jude!"

"Callie, he's not! Leave him alone!"

"Lock them up," Liam said.

"What!? You can't!"

The two large men who accompanied the director suddenly stepped toward the cottage. Jude became aware of just how very large they were in comparison to himself and, particularly, in comparison to Callie. He didn't know how they were going to get out of this.

"They have a cellar!" Fooly informed Liam, a little too joyously in Jude's opinion.

"No! No!"

But no matter what he and Callie yelled, and no matter how hard they tried to fight, they were no match for the two men, and were locked in their own cellar. Jude felt a little vindicated that the one who had tried to control Callie was not walking away unscathed. But that didn't change the fact that they were stuck in their cellar, with no way free. Jude could hear the shouts from the townspeople; he could hear a horrific chant that had to take all of the men in the village to make. They were going to kill Connor, and Jude had no way to warn him. Jude had no way to protect him. He battered on the cellar door until he thought his bones were going to break and, even then, he only pulled away because Callie forced him to.

"What's going on!?" she demanded. "What do you care if Liam kills him? He held you captive!"

"He didn't. Callie, please, we have to get out of here, I have to save him."

"Why –"

"I will explain everything later! Please, just go with me on this, for once! I need you on my side right now."

"I _am_ on your side. I'm always on your side, but, Jude, there is no way out of this cellar. That's how it was built."

Jude went to grab the cellar door again, and then he thought he heard a clanging sound. He stood on his toes and went to press his ear to the wood, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Jude! Get away from there!"

Jude stepped backward and looked up, seeing the wooden cellar door go up in flames.

"Water?" Jude said, spinning around. "Is there any water down here?!"

Callie spun around, the quilt around her shoulders twirling like a cloak. Before either of them could try and find anything, the flames disappeared and a cool, early spring breeze filled the cellar. He and Callie glanced at one another, and she took a brave step forward.

"Is there someone there?"

A familiar face poked over the burnt edge.

"Jesus!" Jude exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Mariana caught me and told me to go with you," Jesus said. "I had to blow out my candles and that always puts me out like a light for a while."

"I remember you!" Callie said. "You're from the castle."

"Yeah, hi!"

"We should go," Jude said. "Liam's going to the castle."

"He had the entire town following him."

"Not helping!" Jude said. He grabbed Jesus by his metal body and started climbing the stairs. He turned back around for Callie. "Are you coming?"

"Of course."

Callie followed him out of the cellar and Jude handed her Jesus.

"There's no way we're going to beat them to the castle."

"If we need to make it there, we'll find a way," Callie said, so determined sounding that it silenced Jude.

Together, with Jesus lighting the way, they found Phillipe and mounted up. He was tired out from his journey to the cottage just a few hours previous, and he was carrying both of them, but he plodded on, tracing the tracks of the large mob that was too far ahead of them for Jude's comfort. He stared into the darkness beyond, anxiously waiting until the castle appeared in front of them. He wished he had some way to tell Connor that he was coming, but he would be there soon.

He didn't know what he could do once he got there, but he knew that there was where he needed to be.

(-.-)

Connor stared at the rose, sitting innocently in its glass case, the last of its petals still clinging desperately to the top of its stem. He wanted to swipe his paw across the delicate little table, listen to the glass finally shatter on the floor, and let the petals blow out onto the balcony and then far away from the palace, to go and decay in the forest. He wanted to, but he didn't have the energy too. Jude was a day gone, and it didn't matter that he had promised to come back. By the time he did, it would be too late, and it wouldn't matter what Connor hadn't been able to confess. He couldn't ask Jude to spend his life with a beast. If Jude ever came back, Connor would be trapped like this until he died, and he would not do the same to Jude.

His ears flicked. He could hear something strange. Deep, rhythmic, like the marching of an army. He hung his head and pinned his ears down, trying to lessen the sound. He didn't care. The servants deserved whatever odd fun that they could scare up for themselves. It wasn't as if there was anything else left for any of them to live for. He wanted to roar at them to keep it down, but he didn't have the energy for that, either. He didn't want to bother them, not after the fight they had just minutes after Jude had fled the castle. He knew that it wasn't fair to them that he had let Jude go, but Connor _had_ to. He loved Jude.

He heard the sounds of Brandon's steps and then a knock on the door. "Master?"

"Leave me."

He just wanted to be alone. He had thought his depressive years were over, but he could feel them coming back with a vengeance. He just wanted to sit and stare at the rose until he rotted into nothing. There wasn't anything else left for him other than that.

"Right, but, Master, there's people approaching. To attack the –"

"LEAVE!" Connor roared. He heard the door click behind him and then he deflated against the floor again.

 _People_.

Let them come.

(-.-)

Jude knew they were getting close to the castle. There were villagers running and screaming past Phillipe, and the horse was becoming increasingly unnerved. Jude kept a tight hold on the reins and pushed him onward. He had to get there; he had to get there now. He knew Phillipe was exhausted, but he kicked him into a faster pace.

"Almost home," he whispered, watching the horse's ears turn to catch his voice. "Almost there."

Mud flashed upward from Phillipe's hooves as he thundered forward, and then, the castle rose from the trees. He didn't need Connor's animalistic hearing to recognize the sounds of screams and fighting; there was even smoke coming from a window on the bottom level. Jude's heart constricted. His friends; Connor!

"Oh no!" Jesus exclaimed from his saddlebag. "The Master!"

Connor!?

Jude pulled up on Phillipe's reins and let his eyes scan the scene. He hadn't thought there was anyone outside, but then, he saw movement, on the roof. He looked up, and there was Connor, Liam towering over _him_. Jude didn't know how it had happened; he didn't understand how Liam could overpower Connor. All he knew was that Connor was about to _let_ Liam beat him.

"CONNOR!" he shouted. Could his voice even carry that far? Connor had to hear him. _Please, please_ let Connor hear him. "CONNOR!"

Connor's massive head turned. Jude saw his jaw open, but whatever he said, was lost to Jude. He saw Connor's paw stretch toward him and Jude nodded. He had to get up to the roof. He had to get to Connor. He spurred Phillipe onward again and Callie's arms tightened around his waist. Jude looked at the staircase leading up to the main doors, which were hanging open. Phillipe could make it.

"Jude!" Callie screeched, but for once in his life, he ignored her.

Phillipe only slipped on the stairs once, and then Jude was in the ruins of the main foyer. There were only a few of the villagers left, fighting a battle even though they were clearly on the losing side. He kicked his feet free of the stirrups.

"Be careful, Callie," he yelled, and then he slid to the floor.

He had to get to Connor. He ran through the corridors. Despite the time that he had spent in the castle, despite the tours that Connor had given to him, his knowledge was still shaky and he worried that he wouldn't be able to get to where he wanted to and that he was taking the wrong direction. But when he finally stuck his head out the window of an abandoned guest room, there was Connor, just mere feet away, clamoring up the shingles to get to him.

"Jude!"

"Connor!"

Jude stretched his hand down. He didn't know how he was going to help Connor in through the window. All he could think was that he just wanted to feel the warmth of Connor's paw, remind himself that Connor was fine, despite the terrifying image of Liam leaning over him, intent on murder.

"You came back," Connor whispered.

"I told you I would," Jude replied, smiling as Connor's paw came into reach; he could feel the heat radiating off it.

"I –" Whatever he was going to say was lost as a loud roar punctuated the air; the force of it was nearly enough to send Jude spiraling backward.

Jude gripped onto the windowsill, his eyes widening in horror as he focused on the long arrow pointing out of Connor's flesh.

" _No,_ " Jude whispered, as Connor lost his balance and started to fall down the roof. "No!"

Jude looked up to see Liam, a disgusting grin of mania on his face. Jude looked back down to Connor, who was still moving, trying to pick himself up off the lower landing he had fallen on. Jude's fingers tightened on the windowsill and his resolve steeled. He didn't want to take his eyes off Connor, but he had to get down to that lower landing. He pushed himself off the wall, as if that would give him speed and raced down the stairs. He wished he had gotten Stef or Lena to show him the way around the servant's passageways when he had the time and luxury. He was sure they'd be faster now, but he couldn't risk getting any more lost than he was already starting to be. He heard cheering sounds from the foyer below; he hoped that was everyone from the castle celebrating driving off the last of the mob. Almost the last of the mob. Everyone but Liam. Jude rushed through the West Wing and the ruins of Connor's bedroom. He burst onto the balcony. The cold wind whipped at him as he spun in a circle; had he gone to the wrong place? He should be able to see Connor now.

He heard something. He grabbed the rail of the balcony and looked down. Nothing. He looked up, and there was Connor, above him, with Liam by the neck.

"Connor!" Jude shouted.

It didn't matter how awful Liam was. Jude wasn't going watch Connor murder _anyone._ Connor looked down at him, and then slowly his arm retracted. He dropped Liam onto the roof and he started to scale down toward Jude. Jude held out both hands to him, asking for the hug that he knew was coming. Then, over Connor's shoulder, Liam appeared. Jude watched him waver back and forth and, even though he hoped that Liam was about to climb down the roof and run away like the rest of his mob had, he knew that wasn't in Liam's nature. He opened his mouth, about to shout another warning, and then a shot rang out and everything started to move in slow motion.

Jude saw the blowback from the gun knock Liam off balance; the sound of his last scream was muted against the ringing in Jude's ears. But that wasn't the part that mattered. The part that mattered was the change on Connor's face when pain took over and he lost his footing, falling to the balcony with a thud that shook the building. Jude fell to his knees and crawled to Connor's side. There was blood blooming on the front of Connor's white shirt.

"No, no, no," Jude heard himself chant.

"Jude."

Connor reached his paw up to gently touch the side of Jude's face. Jude grabbed the paw in his own two hands and pressed his cheek into the palm of it completely, knowing Connor would never make that move on his own.

"You're going to be okay," Jude told him. "You are."

Connor heaved for breath. "What's important is I got to see you one last time."

Tears sprung to Jude's eyes. He hated to hear Connor sound so strained. "No, you're going to be fine. Connor? Connor!"

Connor heaved a great sigh and then his paw fell from Jude's hands. _No!_ Jude bent over Connor, pressing his face against Connor's shirt. All he wanted was to feel Connor's arms around him; as if they were dancing again and nothing had happened.

"Come back," he begged, even though he knew that wasn't how death worked. "Please, come back. _I love you_."

As if that could possibly change anything. But Jude wanted it to change _everything_ because it meant _everything_. He didn't understand how it had happened or why it had happened, all that mattered was he was in love and that had been taken from him before he had a chance to do anything about it. His tears soaked his face and the front of Connor, but it didn't matter anymore. Connor was gone. How could he be gone? This was Jude's fault. For showing Liam the mirror. For not being smarter. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, thinking over and over again that he was just so _sorry_.

An odd zinging noise intruded into his thoughts. Jude pushed himself up, forcing his eyes to open. He was hoping Stef or Lena or Callie was behind him. He just wanted someone who understood him; someone who would grieve with him. But when he cracked his eyes open, he saw something that completely took his breath away. There were green sparks falling from the sky like rain. He tilted his head up, trying to understand where it was coming from. But there was no strange cloud in the sky above him. He want to turn his head, to look behind him, when the bright glare concentrated onto Connor's still body. As Jude watched in horror, Connor's body began to lift. He made a desperate grab for Connor's hanging paw, but he was already out of reach.

Jude sat back on his knees; Connor was moved vertically, so that he looked like he was standing on air. His head lolled back on his neck while his arms and legs were spread wide, as if he were a star. The light intensified and Jude had to shield his eyes from the spectacle in front of him, trying to peek through his fingers, though he was too blinded to see anything. He had to wait, his stomach churning, until the light dimmed. He could see Connor's long cloak swirling as he was returned to the ground; he wasn't laid down gently, but rather, dumped in a pile. Jude rose to his feet, and then the lump began to move. Jude's breath caught in his throat and he brought his hands up to his face, only able to think: _what_?

Connor straightened up, but it wasn't Connor. The cloak hit the floor; the head was _human_. The man turned, his clothes hanging baggily off him. He was attractive; soft hair and defined features. He and Jude just stared at one another, as Jude's brain struggled to understand what he was seeing. His brain kept making odd leaps and jumps. _His hair is the colour of Connor's fur_. _His eyes … Oh, his eyes were a perfect imitation!_ But … but … but … Jude just couldn't bring himself to come to the end result of what was in front of him.

"Jude!"

That voice, but without the growling tone that Jude had become used to, and even found oddly soothing now.

"C-C-onnor?"

The man stretched his hands out in front of him, a smile on his face. A human smile, with flat teeth and thin lips. Jude felt as if his knees were going to give out.

"Look at me!" Connor exclaimed. "You … you did it!"

Did it? Jude had done nothing. He took a few shaky steps forward until he was just within in arm's reach of the man. "Is it really you?"

"It's me!"

And Jude believed it. He didn't know what had happened or how it had happened and the only solution he could think was _magic_. But that didn't matter. He reached out for Connor and Connor reached for him back, and Jude _hugged_ him. Hugged him when only a few seconds ago, Connor had been dead on the floor. And with all of the happiness that was bubbling through him, the only thing he could say was.

"You're short!" and it overlapped with Connor's cry of, "You're tall!"

They laughed and Connor looked up at him. It was so strange to see those eyes looking up at him instead of down. Connor's fingers –human fingers, shorter and wider than Jude would have thought – grasped onto the front of Jude's shirt.

"You broke the spell," Connor whispered.

"I knew this was an enchanted castle," Jude murmured. "But what did _I_ do?"

"If you broke the spell, it means you love me. That was the only way. For someone to fall in love with a beast, because who _could_?"

"I could," Jude said, thinking he should at least feel a little embarrassed over such a declaration. "I did. I do. B-b-b-ut could a beast love me back?"

"Yes," Connor said, so confident that Jude could have fainted in relief. Jude had barely been able to start coming to terms with the fact that he _loved_ Connor, let alone think about telling him. But here they were, and it was fine, because Connor loved him too. "And so could the man."

Jude looked down at the fact that he had to get to know; but it was a beautiful face, with long eyelashes and happy expression, framed by a mane of hair that Jude hoped Connor kept. And there was nothing left to do now but kiss Connor. And so he did, taking the time to hold Connor close and slowly press their lips together. It was Connor who grabbed at Jude more desperately, snaking his arms behind Jude's head and along his back.

"It's so nice," Connor said, "to be able to touch you and not worry I'm going to hurt you!"

Connor seized Jude's face in his hands and pulled Jude into another kiss, and Jude fell into him. Connor could kiss him for as long as he wanted; Jude's eyes drifted shut and he just never wanted to lose this moment.

"Master!"

Jude snapped away from Connor. He didn't know what anyone else would say about he and Connor; he didn't know if he wanted to know. Jude knew how rumours would have flown about in the village; they had already suspected him of being odd in that sort of way, and they had shunned him. Callie had even confronted him about his lack of interest in women, and Jude had lied to her then. He didn't know if he could lie to her now; if he was safe in the castle, next to Connor's side, then he wouldn't deny how he felt about Connor. He didn't think he could bring himself to, anyway. Not after almost losing him once.

Several people were tumbling into the room, two women at the forefront: one with pale skin and a crop of blonde hair and the other with dark skin and large amounts of curly dark hair.

"Stef! Lena!" Connor cried.

They were human too? Jude stared at the women, thinking that he was going to need a more detailed explanation of what exactly this enchantment _was_ the moment anyone had a second to spare. Connor hugged both woman briefly, and Jude was left wondering who was who.

"Brandon! And Mariana! And Jesus!"

Mariana and Jesus had to be the two that looked a lot alike, right?

"Jude!" the woman with the dark skin cried, and Jude knew that voice.

"Lena?" She hugged him tightly, and it felt like the motherly embrace he had always thought that she would have.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, but have you seen my sister? I last saw her downstairs and –"

"Brandon and I will go look for her," Stef said. "I remember seeing her and your horse, but after that nothing."

Jude watched her grab the lanky boy with the dark hair and they walked out the door. That was Brandon, which meant he was right; the boy and girl standing next to one another were Mariana and Jesus. He didn't know what to say now. He just wanted to stand still and drink in everything that had happened in the last five minutes, because too much had happened for five minutes.

"So, everything must be okay," Lena said. She ran her hand over to the top of Connor's head and held him close again. "Look at you! You've grown up so much."

"Look who we found in the hallway!" Stef called, marching into the room with Brandon and Callie behind her.

Callie looked shell-shocked. The moment she saw Jude, she was at his side, her hands on his arm.

"Jude, the entire castle just _changed_ ," she whispered.

"The objects into people? Yeah, that's weird," he whispered back.

"No. Like, I was standing in a room and the walls changed colour and the floor was different the candlesticks all changed. Not into _people_ , just changed. What is this place?"

"Magic," Jude said. "That's all I really know, Callie."

"We should go," Callie said. "I don't know where the beast is –"

"The boy, over there, that's him. It was an enchantment. Nothing's going to hurt us."

Lena held her hand out to Callie. "I'm Lena. Welcome."

Callie shook it. "Hi."

"And this is my wife, Stef, and our children: Brandon, Mariana, and Jesus."

Wife. Jude was safe here. Of course he was. He watched Callie's face, but her eyebrow quirked and she kept her mouth shut. He knew that the village had a more backward mindset than Callie did, but same gendered couples were never something that they had really talked about. Jude had avoided talking to Callie, because he had never gotten a sense of where she stood.

"And," Lena gestured to Connor, "this is Prince Connor. He's very sorry about your first meeting."

 _Prince!?_

Connor looked sheepish. "I'm sorry about my overreaction on your first time finding the castle. It wasn't right to hold you prisoner or force you to choose your brother's life or your own. I don't expect forgiveness, but I hope with time I can earn it."

Spoken like a prince trained in the art of diplomacy. Jude just couldn't stop staring. Often, he had wondered about why royalty had abandoned the palace. Now, he learnt they hadn't. Connor the beast hadn't had to scare anyone out of the palace in order to live here; it already belonged to Connor the prince.

"What do you think of him?" Callie whispered to Jude.

"Oh, I –"

"He loves him!" Mariana interrupted him. "That's how the curse was broken! Only true love could!"

Mariana swooped across Connor's bedroom to grab Jude into a hug. Jude let her, but he didn't take his eyes off Callie. He watched her shocked expression fade into something he hoped was acceptance. He nodded slightly at her and she nodded back. He was sure that it wasn't the last they would talk of it, but he knew that she wasn't going to leave him. Callie would never leave him.

"And Connor loves him too!" Mariana declared firmly, pulling Connor into the hug and then fading away, so that it was just Jude and Connor standing next to each other.

"I guess we did get a happy ending," Jude heard Brandon say.

"Which is why you shouldn't be so pessimistic," Stef said. "Let's go down to the kitchens and finally _eat_ something we cook."

"Oh, no," Jesus complained, "the dishes aren't going to do themselves anymore."

Stef laughed and Jude's hand sought out Connor's. The room was happy, and light, and he had a feeling everything was going to be perfect.

Until the sound of someone's throat clearing stopped the entire room cold.

Jude looked to the entrance of the room. There was a tall man with dark hair and trimmed facial hair standing there, dressed in clothes Jude knew were suited to royalty. He tried to figure out who it could be; he doubted he had a chance to meet everyone in the household during his time here. He might just not know.

"Your majesty!" the servants gasped, dropping into bows and curtsies.

"Father," Connor said, his voice formal and grave. He dropped into his own bow and Jude shuffled backward into Callie. He didn't know what he should do or how to react. "You're alive!"

"Yes. I was trapped," the king said, striding into the room, explaining himself with confidence. "The Enchantress trapped me in the rose, able to see all and know all, but unable to do everything." The servants parted so that the king could stand before his son. "I have watched you suffer, all of these years, knowing that I did this to you."

"I don't blame you, Father."

"You're a good man and I am proud of you." The king rested a heavy hand on Connor's shoulder, and then he turned to face Jude. "I am King Adam."

He was also intimidating. Jude stepped closer to Callie. "I'm Jude, and this is my sister, Callie."

"I know," he said gravely. "And I am indebted to you. Anything either of you ever wishes, I will grant, and know that you will always have a place here."

"Thank you," Jude said.

"We appreciate that very much, sir," Callie added.

King Adam turned around and rested his hand upon Connor's shoulder. "Did I hear something about a feast? I think we've all been without food for a very long time!"

"Come with us, love," Stef said to Callie. "We'll get you something to eat too. Did you get your horse put away in the stables?"

"Uh. I left him locked in one of the downstairs bedrooms," Jude heard Callie confess as they walked away.

He went to follow, but Connor ducked out of his father's grasp and let the entire group move out of the room, leaving he and Jude alone.

"I don't know what to say to any of what just happened," Jude said.

"That's okay."

"Because I don't understand what happened," Jude added. "I think Callie's worse off than I am."

Connor took Jude's hand in his own. "I can never make up to her what I did to her. From the dungeon to forcing her away from you."

"Callie will forgive you."

"How do you know?"

"Because I did and I love you." That time, Jude's heart did skip when he said it. "And Callie will make the effort because it matters to me."

"I hope so. Jude?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to stay here? I mean, now that … I don't have the excuse of keeping you prisoner."

"Yes," Jude said passionately. "I was always going to come back. The moment Callie was well and the moment I had her convinced to come too. I was never going to stay away."

Connor rested his head against Jude's chest and Jude held him close, trying to get used to how small Connor was as a human. Jude could feel his muscular stature beneath the baggy, thin clothes he was wearing, but he was so much shorter than Jude was now. It was going to take getting used to, when he was so accustomed to Connor being over seven feet tall.

"It's like a dream to hear you say that."

"It's not," Jude said, and then he kissed Connor again.

It wasn't a dream. It was happily ever after.

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


	14. Epilogue

Jude sipped at the cup of tea that had just been dropped off by a servant, looking over the letter from Callie that had arrived with his tea. The warm, early summer breeze crinkled the paper and Jude folded it along the crease line, tucking it under the edge of his now empty tea cup. She was off, travelling. She and Mariana had made fast friends and Callie had talked her into travelling with her. They couldn't go off without escorts and so, Mariana's two brothers, Jesus and Brandon, had accompanied them. It had left Jude alone in the castle with Stef, Lena, Connor, and Adam. He had tried to get to know the other servants, but, while they were _friendly_ , they weren't friends. The fact that Jude had been the one to break the spell had left them treating him with more respect than he was used to. Plus, he was the Prince's lover. That meant something to them too.

Jude left the table and walked to the edge of the balcony, looking down at the garden that was now in full bloom. He had to admit, he was getting bored here. He felt like a bird in a cage – however gilded that cage may be. With every letter, Callie added a postmark on where to meet her, if he so choose. He was starting to consider it. He had stayed behind for Connor, but with the breaking of the curse, had also come the restoration of the royal family's lands and, by extension, responsibilities. Connor and Adam were busy running a country. Jude couldn't even begin to fathom all that entailed. What he knew was that it kept Connor busy. So busy that they barely saw one another, despite his best intentions.

He tucked the letter in his pocket and picked up his dishes, carrying them down to the kitchens. He had been told – repeatedly – that it wasn't something he had to do, but it seemed rude to just leave them there. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the thought of someone picking up after him like that. However luxurious the castle had been during the time of enchantment, it was more so now, and that was another thing that Jude found hard to wrap his head around.

Jude dropped his dishes off and went out to the stables. They weren't empty. Adam had acquired horses and there was a diplomat of some sort visiting and so he and his entourage had taken up a healthy amount of space. He dodged a few stable boys and tacked Phillipe himself. He had been surprised when Callie hadn't even tried to take Phillipe with her on her journey and had, instead, taken one of the young horses Adam had offered the group. She'd said Phillipe was old, but Jude knew that she was lying. Either way, she was glad that she had left him Phillipe.

Jude knew he wasn't supposed to stray too far from the castle unless he had a guard with him. Adam was concerned about political enemies, particularly if news of his and Connor's true relationship had gotten around. Jude had decided he'd be concerned about that later. Adam hadn't had his kingdom back for long and he'd made sure that Connor and Jude weren't mentioning what they were to anyone who wasn't a trusted servant.

"But that's a whole other problem, isn't it, Phillipe?" Jude asked as he Phillipe trotted along a worn forest path.

He felt like he had a lot of problems lately and he wasn't sure what to make of any of them. He would try and talk to Connor tonight and see where that went. He spent every night with Connor – supposedly. Sometimes Connor wouldn't come in until very late and Jude barely woke up for that anymore. Even when he did, they were too tired to speak. Connor was often gone when Jude woke. Sometimes they would get to have breakfast with one another, but rarely lunch or dinner. It was getting easier, now that Adam was back at the castle. He had been doing a lot of travelling before that, trying to get his affairs in order. That had left Connor, alone and confused, to try and run the household. Jude had been worried he was going to run himself to death at that time. They'd had one good week after Connor's transformation and then this had all started.

Jude stayed out with Phillipe until he noticed the sun was beginning to go down. He knew that if he was out after dark a manhunt likely _would_ start and that was the last thing he wanted. He was back home within minutes, waving to the guards on duty. He took care of Phillipe himself and then went inside for dinner. Connor and Adam were busy and so he ate with the Stef and Lena, at the servants table in the kitchen. It was nice there, warm and homey, and they were easy to speak to, but they could only give him advice that he already knew: he had to speak to Connor.

"Easier said then done," Jude said. He looked down at his nearly empty plate. "Be honest with me, all right?"

"We always do our best to be," Stef assured him, and Jude believed her.

"What's it going to take for me to be an equal? If I were a woman, a princess to his prince, this would all be different, wouldn't it?"

"Perhaps," Lena said. "It's not just that you're a man, Jude. You're also a peasant. You were never taught the things that someone of noble status would have engrained in them from birth."

"I can be taught those things," Jude said, "but I'll never be a woman. I wouldn't want to be, even if I were given the option."

"My advice about this," Stef said, "would be to wait for the dust to settle and then speak to King Adam about it. There are places within the royal court that you could be trained for and that would keep you close to Connor."

"How long is it going to take for the dust to settle?" Jude asked, trying not to let it show how frustrated it was.

"It's hard to tell," Stef said.

"But we will keep an eye on it for you," Lena added. "We'll help you with this. All we want is for you and Connor to be happy."

"Thank you," Jude said. "I wouldn't be able to do any of this without the two of you."

"You're welcome, Jude."

He ate the last few bites of his supper and put his dishes by the sink. When he glanced back at Stef and Lena, he saw that they were holding hands under the table. They always did and he always found himself checking for it. He just liked seeing their affection. It gave him hope. Jude left the kitchen and went to the library, fetching something new to read. He had finished his last book and he didn't know what to do next. He thought about finding something adventurous and exciting, but that wasn't what he ended up carrying to the West Wing. He ended up taking a book on the royal family. If he wanted to be a productive member of court, eventually, then he was going to have to know everything that he possibly could about it.

Jude still wasn't over the changes that had occurred in the West Wing, in particular, since the transformation. The furniture was repaired, elegant and beautiful. There were plush rugs, new tapestries, and the ripped portrait that Jude had noticed on his first visit – that turned out to be a well-done portrait of Connor as a child – had been put back together as well. He was no longer scared of the space. He and Connor shared the West Wing now, the room that he had originally inhabited return to its old status as a guest room.

Despite the fact that it was still early in the evening, Jude changed into his night clothes. He wasn't physically exhausted but, mentally, he was getting there. He nudged one of the plush chairs in the room further underneath one of the torches on the wall and settled down with the old book. He mouthed the words to himself as he went, finding it easier to concentrate if he did so. He was only a few pages in when he heard sounds outside his door. He perked up. There shouldn't be servants in here at this time of night; in the evenings, they usually left Jude alone with his privacy. There was a bell system to alert them if he needed something, but Jude had never used it. If he needed something, he would go again fetch it himself.

The door to the room opened and Jude almost jumped up indignantly. He didn't _want_ to be bothered, especially if whoever was on the other side didn't want to knock. But, when the door swung open, it was Connor standing there. Connor closed the heavy door and leant against it, letting out an exhausted sigh.

" _You_ ," Connor said, "are the best thing I've seen all day."

"I should be," Jude said. "Not that you've seen much of me at all, lately."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Connor pushed himself off the door, only to curl up on Jude's lap, squeezing the both of them into the chair. He pulled the book out of Jude's hand, inspecting the title. "Why would you want to read this?"

"I just thought I should be more educated," Jude said. He pressed his face into Connor's shoulder, but the clothing he was wearing was starchy and formal. Connor always seemed to be dressed formally these days. It didn't stop him from snaking his arms around Connor's waist and holding onto him tightly.

"If that's what you want, we can help with that. Father is sending me back to my tutors. You can join me."

"I'll consider that."

Connor put the book on the ground and kicked his shoes off next to it before pressing himself back into Jude.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Connor said.

"Me too. Actually, a lot of things."

"Who should go first?"

"Me," Jude said decisively.

Connor pressed a kiss to Jude's cheek. "Let's hear it."

Jude wasn't sure how to go about choosing his exact words, and so he just went for it. "How does this end?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're royalty. I'm not. You've got this whole world that I'm not part of. What am I supposed to do, Connor? Stay cooped up forever, just waiting for the five minutes I get to spend with you? What happens to me if other responsibilities get in the way?"

"Other responsibilities like what?" Connor asked, his eyes dark and tone serious.

"You're the only son of a king. What happens when you have to take over the throne and then you need your own heir? Do I stand back, play the illicit lover while you spend time with whatever princess you end up marrying?"

"Whoa," Connor said. "First of all, none of that is going to happen. This ends with you and me. I'm not giving you up for anything. Yes, I am my father's only child, but he's young still. He likely will remarry and produce more heirs. They can take the throne. If, for whatever reason, when my father passes those younger siblings or his new queen are unfit to rule, then I will until they are ready. After that, I will abdicate and it will be you and me. We'll stay in the castle or, maybe, we'll take over one of my father's other properties. Maybe we can even move to a village and see how I can fit into a peasant lifestyle. I think you'd find that funny."

Connor tilted Jude's chin up so that they were looking at one another, and Jude leant his face into Connor's hand.

"You'd never be able to live in a village," Jude mumbled. "But you're right. I would find it funny."

"It's you and me," Connor said. "That's what I want. I don't need to be king. I don't need to rule. There are very few things that I wouldn't sacrifice to be with you."

"What wouldn't you?" Jude asked, more out of curiousity than out of any real defensiveness.

"Things like Stef, Lena. The people we love. I don't think you would want me to do that, anyway."

"No," Jude agreed. "I wouldn't."

"I'll be around more," Connor said. "Soon. I promise. You may not see it, but things are starting to settle. Maybe I'll talk with my father about taking a position that will allow us to travel. For the time being, we can tell people you're my servant."

"That's romantic," Jude said. "I'm always going to be a secret, aren't I?"

"Not always," Connor said. "I won't let you."

"But?"

"But, right now, there are politics at play that are bigger than the both of us. That's all. You know it has nothing to do with the way I feel about you, right?"

Connor's thumb brushed over Jude's cheek gently. Connor always touched him carefully and Jude wondered how long it would take him to realize that he was never going to wake up with claws again. Jude pulled on the side of Connor's stiff jacket. He knew Connor was waiting for an answer, but he pulled off Connor's jacket instead, draping the finery over the back of the chair they were sitting in, rather than dropping it on the floor for a servant in the morning to find. He wrapped his arms back around Connor's waist, feeling the warmth of his body through his shirt. Connor was always so warm.

"I know that," Jude said finally. "But, sometimes, especially since you're not around, I don't feel it. Am I making sense?"

"Yes." Connor tilted Jude's head again, this time to kiss him. "My turn or did you have something else?"

"Um. I had something else. But, you take a turn."

"Do you miss Callie?"

"Of course I do. I wish I was with her," Jude confessed, "and seeing what she was seeing."

"Do you regret staying with me while she went?"

"I'd have a regret no matter what I chose," Jude said. "The only way I'd be happy is if you came too and I know better now to think that you could."

"Mmm, but that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I _can_ ," Connor said. "I mean, not right now, but if you could wait, then we could set out halfway through the summer, come back at the beginning of fall. We'll travel to the sea, remember, like we talked about? We can meet up with Mariana and the others there and come back together. What do you think?"

"Really? You'd be able to do that?"

"Yes. I haven't given Father a chance to say no," Connor said. He laughed and hugged Jude close. "If you want to do that. I know you've been bored. I know I haven't been here. And if you want to go and meet Callie now, then I will simply find you when you're ready to leave. What do you think?"

"I think I want to experience it with you," Jude said without hesitation. "Especially if we meet up with Callie near the end."

Connor smiled at him and Jude didn't know if he would ever get over how beautiful Connor's smile was to him. "I was hoping you would say that."

Connor rested his head on Jude's shoulder and Jude held him close. His leg was starting to go numb from how Connor was sitting on him, but he wasn't about to complain. They sat until Connor yawned.

"You should go to bed," Jude said.

"I have to be up early again," Connor said, as if he wasn't up early every morning. "I don't want to waste my time with you."

"I'll be here," Jude promised.

"It's not fair to you. This wasn't what I thought it would be like," Connor said. "Though I don't know if I ever let myself get to the point where I was really picturing what life would be like if you broke the spell. It seemed so impossible that you could ever really fall in love with me."

"But I did. And I am. I can be patient while things settle as long as you can promise it won't _always_ be like this."

"It won't," Connor said. "It will always be busy but times as busy as this are few and far between. We'll have some down time and some time to do things that we want to. I promise you."

"And I believe you," Jude replied. "But you should get to bed so that you can be productive tomorrow. The more you're productive, the closer that time comes, right?"

"I guess so," Connor said, and then he whined from the back of his throat. "But I'm so comfortable here with you."

"It's not like I won't be in bed with you," Jude said.

"I didn't know if you were going to stay up reading or not."

"I'll have all day tomorrow to read," Jude said.

"Not all day," Connor informed him. "Lunch tomorrow. We'll hide in the games room got an hour or two. Enough to play the tie-breaker we always end up in."

"Not always," Jude said.

"Mostly."

Jude made a small noise of agreement that turned into a whine when Connor actually _did_ get off his lap. Connor laughed at him, but he didn't come back.

"You were the one that mentioned bed."

There was something alluring in the way Connor said it, and the idea of it too. Jude had been wowed by the feel of the bed he'd been given when he first arrived in the palace, but it was nothing compared to how a prince's large bed – with its brand new blankets and impossibly soft sheets – was. And nothing compared to how it felt to fall asleep with Connor _right there_ and then to wake up to his face. It was another thing that Jude wouldn't take for granted.

The more he thought about bed, the more tempting it was to stand up and slide between the covers to wait for Connor, but he found himself just sitting. Sitting and watching. Connor slowly changed into his own night clothes, different from Jude's own. Connor liked to wear slightly less since he overheated during the night; Jude didn't mind that at all. Connor left his clothes in a heap on the floor, and Jude called him out on it.

"Didn't you learn anything about respecting your servants?"

"I do!" Connor said. "Have to give them a job, don't I?"

Jude snorted. "This place is large enough that they are always busy."

Connor moved his clothes to a more respectable spot than the floor. "You're good for me, you know."

"I hope so," Jude said.

Connor smiled at him and then offered Jude his hands, to help pull him from the chair. Jude quenched the torch he was using to read and followed Connor over to the bed, pushing the covers down and then pulling Connor in with him. They pulled the blankets up to their chins, their heads sharing a single pillow despite the plethora of pillows around them, and their hands held tightly together. Jude nestled even more into Connor's personal space and kissed him.

"Maybe we should stay awake tonight," Connor suggested, "and skip lunch tomorrow so we can nap instead."

"Whatever you wish, your highness."

"I thought I told you not to call me that."

"I think it's funny."

"Not when it's you." Connor pushed himself up on his elbows, leaning over Jude, his hands and body resting heavily against Jude's own being. "You're in a position of power over me, not the other way around."

"We're equal," Jude corrected.

Jude could see it in Connor's eyes that Connor didn't necessarily agree with him, but Jude knew he'd learn. When it came to one another, they were on equal footing. They'd talked about it before, Connor saying that Jude had saved him – it was true, Jude knew that, but he also knew that Connor failed to see just how Jude had felt, living in the village. However rocky it had been, coming to the castle had been his beginning too. Being gifted this life with Connor was being saved.

"We've got a long time to argue about it," Connor said finally. "I love you, Jude."

"I know," Jude said, smiling. "I love you too."

Then, Connor kissed him deeply and Jude was happy.

In fact, they lived happily ever after.

 **There was no official playlist for this story, but some songs were contributed to the small playlist anyway! If you would like to view the playlist, there are full versions that can be found on** _ **Youtube**_ **and on my tumblr! If you need some extra tips on how to access it, please message me and I'll help you out!**

 **Thank you so much to those who read this story! Your support means a lot to me!**

 **On tumblr I'm: we are all of legend now (with dashes between every word). If you want to find my replies to anon reviews, add backslash tagged backslash anon dash replies. If you want to see anything I post about Tale As Old As Time, add backslash tagged backslash tale dash as dash old dash as dash time. Note that the punctuation is spelled out due to fanfiction's restrictions. If you have any problems accessing the extra content on tumblr please send me a message and I can help you out!**

 **I don't own anything recognizable – that being either** _ **The**_ _ **Fosters**_ **characters or anything affiliated with Disney.**

 **~TLL~**


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